Faux Prison
by ISeeTheMoon
Summary: All her life, Kasumi has been a prisoner, not only to the demands of her lord and father, but by the prison of her own body. Unable to show who she really is, no one quite understands the princess. When everything is taken away from her, and she is held prisoner by a certain Inu Daiyokai, will she finally be herself? Or will he keep her caged too?
1. Chapter 1: Palace Prison

**Chapter One:**  
 **Palace Prison**

* * *

The night was quiet, a shift in the wind rustling the leaves in the trees, and the warm green grass below. The moon hung high in the air, the full glow lighting up the evening sky,practically blinding the evening stars with its glare. Below the high moon was the wide estate of a feudal lord. A few oil lanterns lit around the front gateway, two guards standing at its entrance in full attention, one hand on their spears, the other resting strictly and stiffly at their side, wrists angled at the hilt of their swords. They were illuminated by the glow of flames, giving their silver armor an orange tint and casting eerie shadows across sternly set faces.  
Past the entrance was the long stone paved pathway leading to the main house, basked in red and brown posts, the glow of oil lanterns casting orange hues on the paper doors.  
The quiet of the night didn't last long, however, as a scream ripped through the silence. It was a cry of pain, and anguish. Deeper into the main house, in what would be labeled as the lord's Lady Wife's rooms, the screams emanated from beyond the sliding doors.  
Inside, the lady of the house was resting in a futon, a simple kimono thrown over her to cover herself as a whimper of pain came from her lips. She gripped the futon tightly, and desperately attempted to keep herself from turning over and writhing in pain. She breathed heavily, trying to keep them even but found it difficult as she tried as hard as she could to push the new born baby out. She was by herself, which she suspected. Her husband enraged with her, yet not having it in him to kill a woman with child. She could vaguely hear her mid wife encouraging her to push from the other side of her paper door.  
After several long moments of breathing and pushing, she could finally hear the cries of her new born. As soon as the cries could be heard, the midwife urged herself into the room. She quickly took the babe, heavily sighing as she stared at the weeping infant.  
A girl, with dark curls atop her head, and pointed, golden ears with back tips protruding through her scalp. On top of that, she had a fluffy little black and gold tail coming from her back side. "A demon child..." the woman said softly. It was then that the lord of the manor came bursting into the room. He took one long look at the woman panting heavily on her futon, sweat coating her face, black hair sprawled out beneath her she looked up at her lord, and her heart fell.  
"M-my lord... please, allow me to hold her... b-before you..." she barely got the words past her lips before she felt her last breath sweep through her. Her body slacked, and the cheating woman laid motionless. Angered, he turned his attention to the baby the mid wife held and yanked it from her grip, with the intentions of killing the half breed. He stared at the child, which he aggressively held by the fluff of her tail, eliciting louder cries of pain from her. He stared at it, for several long moments before he adjusted the infant better to support her head. He stared at her cute, small nose that resembled his wife's. Her dark locks that she had likely inherited from her as well. Her sweet plump cheeks. Right down to her tiny toes and feet. He breathed in deeply, signaling his frustrations, before he caved at the sweet babe that would forever remind him of the wife he had loved... and how those ears and tail would remind him of her betrayal.  
"Kasumi." He said simply. "Kasumi Ishikawa shall be the babes name." The lord said, handing the child off to the midwife to clean her and handle her for him. "You will tell no one of this. Yuriko died giving birth. The child is human, and no one shall see her ears and tail. You must make strides in hiding them midwife. And you must keep this secret, or even you shall perish." He lightly threatened, as he went to announce to the house that a princess had been born.

* * *

( ^_^)/~~~

"Young lady, please get down, quickly before someone sees you." The midwife who had raised the young Kasumi pleaded with the kit climbing high upon the highest peach tree in the family garden.  
All the midwife could hear was the childlike giggle of the young child as she just kept going. "But Kyah, this is the private garden. None of the servants can come in." Came the girls sweet, innocent voice as she placed one hand on a branch above her, and a foot on the one below her.  
"That does not mean there are not prying eyes, my lady. Please come down before someone sees those ears and tail of yours." The elderly woman tried pleading again. She was met with silence, when suddenly the young princess swung down on the lower branches, holding on with her knees tightly squeezing the branch.  
She had small little cuts on her pristine face, her gem like eyes staring at the elderly woman she knew only as a mother, in slight confusion. She was hanging upside down, her long black and gold locks swinging down, the edges of her hair hardly glancing over the white sand. Her ears were perked up and happy looking, though that likely had to do with her current upside down position, and the elegant robe the princess typically wore everywhere to hide her tail and ears was flopped down as well, reaching well past her hair and pooling around her swinging arms. Before the expensive garb could fall to the dirt, she swung up, wrapping her arms around the tree branch and unwinding her legs before she jumped down, her bare feet elegantly landing on the soft, smooth sand. "Kyah, what does prying eyes mean?" The seven-year-old girl asked, and with her up right position it was clear now that her ears were perked to the side in confusion.  
Kyah sighed softly and quickly pulled up the robe on the girls' shoulders to cover the top of her head, hiding the ears she often found adorable, and quite suitable for the curious child. "It means there is always someone watching. A nosey servant, a guard on duty. Even your father could see you, young one. And you wouldn't want him to see you behaving unladylike, do you?" She asked.  
"But Kyah, I have to play!" She explained, frowning so deeply at her that she was damned near pouting.  
"Yes but your father has gotten you toys for you to play inside the manor, away from the view of others. In safety, inside, where a lady should remain." Kyah sighed at her, understanding the energetic toddler's desire to run around outside and play. It was a luxury a princess couldn't have however.  
"But I'm so bored of the toys he bought me! I play with them all the time I want to play outside! I wanna, I wanna, I wanna!" She exclaimed, stomping her feet and crying loudly, throwing herself onto the floor and swinging her feet and fists into the air.  
Kyah slowly moved to sit on the paved ground and pulled the tantrum throwing kid into her lap, letting her wallow and weep and demand she play outside. She soothed her, rubbing her covered head, her back, and back up again. Eventually the tantrum turned into full blown sobbing, her arms wrapped around the plump woman and she buried her tiny face into her stomach.  
"I know dear..." Kyah said quietly when Kasumi's tears subsided enough that she shook more than sobbed. "I know you wish to play with the other children in the house. To play with the ball as well, share your toys with them." She kept petting the girls head, which she discovered soothed her quicker than any previous tactic she tried using. "I know it's hard for such a young girl to understand that she cannot. Your father has forbade it, until you can learn to fully transform your appearance to appear like a normal human." Kyah herself saw nothing wrong with the looks of the young princess, though she had always been told she was more tolerant than others. Atop her head were the wide fox ears she was born with, the tips right down to the middle of them was a raven black, the rest of her ears were a golden hue the color of the evening sun, or the color of wheat fields. The golden color spread out over her tresses, black mixed together with the wheat color, which extended all the way down to the ends of her long locks. She was a beautiful child, her eyes the color of jades, her lashes long even for a child of her age. There seemed to be a lot of her facial features that were so alike her mother, but much more of her resembled the fox who fathered her.  
Kasumi sniffled, eventually looking up at her, just to see the old woman's kindly face and smile. Kyah wiped her tears from her cheeks and kissed her forehead in a loving display of affection. "Then... then I wanna learn how to hide it! So that I can play with them! Kyah will you help me?" She questioned eagerly gripping the sides of Kyahs yukata her fluff of a tail wagging excitedly beneath the pink kimono atop her head.  
"Of course I will dear." She said softly, giving her a tight hug before she stood up carefully, picking the girl up and onto her feet in the same motion.

* * *

( ^_^)/~~~

"My lady, please! Wait up, these old bones of mine cannot keep up." Kyah yelled at the princess, who was practically running through the halls. The excited teenager practically flung the sliding door wide to reveal the open courtyard she had only seen through glimpses as servants passed in and out.  
The warm summer sun wrapped around her like a blanket, and she breathed in the fresh air deeply. She enjoyed the open courtyard. She had been outside plenty of times with Kyah, in the confined space of the garden she had taken to calling her own. But out here, in the front of the manor, she didn't have the sense of confinement she always felt, the walls of the estate so far away, that to her, they hardly existed.  
Giggling, she hurriedly grabbed the edges of her three layered kimono and stepped past the threshold of the wooden floor, onto the rough gravel of the courtyard soil.  
She marveled at the way the rough stone pressed deeply into her bare foot, loving that the texture was so unlike anything she had felt previously. The sand in her garden was like powder, small, and smooth like silk, and the crisp cut grass was always wet, and warm under her toes. She had fantasied for seven long years how it would feel to press her feet into the gravel below her now. It hurt her sensitive, dainty soles, but the sound of the crunch and grind as she walked over it, and the pressure of it under her made her shudder in pure delight. Never could one imagine to be so overjoyed to step on dirt. People would think her foolish. Maybe she was, but she didn't care what the others thought. She never had before, she likely never would in the future either.  
She moved to the center of the courtyard, taking in the wide open space, and the large, lush manor she called her prison. The leaves of a few trees lined the walls surrounding them, and she marveled at their dark green color, and the close sounds of the cicadas in the air. The bright expanse of the blue sky had never looked so big to her before, and she excitedly thought that she would come out tonight to look at the stars and moon under the full sky. It would be so much more enjoyable than sitting in her garden at the early hours of the evening, desperately trying to view the moon that was blocked by tall rooftops and cherry blossom trees.  
"Lady princess!" Kyahs' gravelly voice broke Kasumi's self-trance, and she turned her gaze away from the flimsy white clouds to the woman who hobbled over the edge of the terrace of the house, her cane held firmly in her grip. "You mustn't run! If your lord father were to have seen you, you would surely see a punishment that would tan your young hide."  
The princess walked over to Kyah, helping her sandaled feet onto the gravel Kasumi was beginning to love. "I'm sorry, Kyah. In my excitement, I neglected your condition and forced you to chase after me." She said softly, holding the now old woman gently but steadily, letting her gain her own balance before Kyah heavily leaned on the sturdy cane she now typically carried. "Are you alright?" She asked her, her sweet gentle voice somehow managing to ease Kyah, though she had no reason why she needed to be eased.  
She looked up at the young woman before her, and her leathery face pulled upwards as she grinned at her. She had watched this child grow from babe to a woman, and she was happy to have been a part of every aspect of her growth. She had taught her as much as she was allowed to, instructing her on how to handle the household affairs until eventually, Kasumi was able to run the household without her help, leaving her father free to handle his other duties. Kyah had taught her how to write, and read, a luxury most women didn't receive. She had taught her the basics of herbology and medicine until a doctor taught her beyond that. The chefs taught her how to cook, the maid servants teaching her how to serve the serving trays, how to plate the food and where to place certain items. Kasumi even learned how to properly clean the manor, how to repaper the doors when they got ruined in bad weather. She had learned first-hand how to deliver a baby if she ever needed to, how to care for children. She had learned everything a princess needed to know, and more. She was a bright child right from birth, she was quick to pick up knowledge and was likely smarter than any woman could or should be. She had even learned to conceal her form completely, hiding tail and ears from others, even while she slept. And she constantly held a barrier around her to hide her demonic scent from any demons. It was a wonder to Kyah how the young girl could still have so much energy, while doing so much every second of every day. She rarely saw the girl exhausted. "I'm fine, child. I am just... happy for you. That you can finally cross the paths and enter the courtyard."  
"Mmh..." the princess smiled tenderly, a sign she was hiding her inner feelings, feelings Kyah dared not pry upon for fear of what they may be. "I'm not a child anymore, Kyah. I'm fourteen years old. I'm finally of marrying age."  
"You will always be a child to me, my lady. I have watched you grow taller than me, yet I will still see the sweet girl that cried every day about not being able to play with other children." Kyah stated.  
Kasumi rolled her elegant brown eyes. "Not that old story again." She teased the woman lightly, the two of them taking a slow walk around the courtyard. She remembered very clearly the day she decided she would learn to transform her appearance completely. It had taken her years to perfect it, but by the time she had turned ten years old, she was told to learn new things. And each time she surpassed what she was taught, more was given to her. She had proven that she was capable of a lot, despite that her maturity levels sometimes still resembled that crying seven-year-old. It had made her childhood rough, and she still never managed to experience playing outside with the others. At fourteen years old, she could finally say she had learned everything she needed to know to be the wife of a lord, to run his household while he attended other duties she was not savvy to.  
The two of them made their round, enjoying the small freedom, the heat of the sun on their backs, and the sound of crisp gravel beneath their feet. Kasumi suddenly stopped, almost causing the old woman she kept her hold on to trip, when the princess had spotted her father.  
Lord Ishikawa stared at the empty courtyard and the women walking around it. Kyah had reached her prime years ago, and the plump woman was hunched over, depending mostly on her cane to help her walk, or when she allowed it, Kasumi's arm. In her age, she had shrunk, the once tough and young midwife had aged none too gracefully, as she spent all her time with the princess, and her exuberance was hard to keep up with consistently. She had gone from midwife, to her caretaker, to her lady in waiting, now that Kasumi was of the right age. She had long since abandoned the light layers of the yukata to something far thicker, to keep her constant chills at bay, to not worry her precious princess, and her gray mane of hair was always pulled up to a loose bun, the bangs framing for withered face. She had lived longer than even she thought possible, but even she knew she wouldn't live to see her princess wedded, or to even be her midwife if she so chose it. It saddened her, but her eyes turned up at the young woman, and she smiled gently. Since she had changed her appearance quite well. She maintained her own looks, and hid only the green gems of her eyes, the golden fur covered ears and tail, as well as her sharp claws and canines. With it all hidden away, no sign of the demon wretch who had stolen the late lady's heart in Kasumi's appearance, she was a spitting image of her mother. Her long hair cascaded down her back in a sleek curtain, spilling around her waist, her bangs framing her sweet cherub face, her skin like snow against the black locks. She had naturally rosy pink cheeks and lips, and rarely applied any rouge or eye coloring on her lids, like much of the ladies of the lands these days. The princess held a natural beauty that would seem otherworldly to the normal eyes of a commoner. Her long lashes were like the soft flutter of a birds feathered wing, the tips touching her high cheekbones when she blinked. The red robes she typically bore over her layers only amplified her serenity and beauty, her purity even. It was a color that suited her perfectly.  
Kasumi blinked, and then peered down at the still staring Kyah with her round brown orbs. "Kyah... why is father here?" She asked so softly, as if she believed her lord father had super hearing. Kyahs' heart almost broke to hear the words she spoke. She hated her lord for many acts. She hated him for forcing his supposedly beloved wife to give birth all by herself, and cruelly yelling at the former midwife for trying to instruct the lady wife during her first pregnancy. She knew full well that an unmonitored first birth could kill a woman if she were not careful. Of course, even her lord knew that, which was why he forced her to give birth by herself. She hated him for lying to his supposedly beloved princess, who he kept around simply because she resembled her mother so purely when she hid her demon nature. It was likely a way for him to ease his guilt for letting his woman die, Kyah suspected. She wished so much that Kasumi knew the truth, why her mother was gone, who the man who would be her real father was- who had disappeared after hearing that Yuriko passed, of course assuming his child with her. She cared not the girl was half demon. She was a pure soul in it all, and she believed she deserved to know, but knew lord Ishikawa would kill her if she spoke the truth.  
The lord also had a habit of mistreating his daughter, as he had done with his wife at one point. Yelling at her constantly for behaving as any baby or toddler would behave as, having exceedingly high expectations of her at such a young age that it gave Kasumi no time to be a child.  
The only good thing about Ishikawa was that he was a benevolent feudal lord. He protected his lands and his people, and attempted to assist them as much as he was able to, even if they did not need assistance, he was always willing to provide for them, which was far more than any feudal lord could ever do for their people.  
"Kyah?" Kasumi's soft whisper brought the old woman out from her thoughts, as she again asked her question.  
"Do you forget, child?" Kyah laughed lightly at her, trying to ease the worry lines she saw forming on Kasumi's brow. "It is your birthday. The day of your coming age as a woman. He likely has gifts, and words of praise. He likely wishes to announce you as legal age and prepare you for suitors and a future marriage. You don't need to worry, dear. He has waited long for this day, he will be kind." Kyah hoped, urging the girl to walk towards the man she called father.  
Kasumi hesitated for a moment, looking at Kyah, who held confidence in her wrinkled gaze, before she turned to her father and walked towards him as ladylike as she could muster with her feet on the rough ground. When she approached her father, she could now perfectly see his angered gaze. She was confused by the anger at first until she quickly realized her feet were bare. "Father, forgive me. I was too excited to realize I was not wearing the proper foot attire." She said, bowing as deeply as she could while standing, hoping to the kamis above that she would not be reprimanded. Of course hope was meaningless in the presence of her lord and father.  
"Kasumi! You are a princess! A lady of the court! A woman of such high status does not walk barefoot on the soil!" He yelled at her, raising his hand as if to slap sense into her, but her trembling form stopped him long enough to let out an annoyed gruff. "You will adorn the sandals required of you, young lady while outside, and you will meet me in the main hall." He ordered before he walked off, his own sandal less socked feet quietly gliding over the wooden terrace of the manor before he disappeared inside.  
She scrambled quickly, walking over to the small steps of the terrace. She sat down on the lip, and wiped off the gravel stuck to her soles, and for a moment felt a giddy sensation at seeing the indents of each hard pointed surface that had been placed in the bottom of her feet, before she forced herself to snap out of it and returned to the terrace. She didn't expect Kyah to follow her, and she quickly but as ladylike as possible walked to her rooms to adorn the slipper like socks she could wear with her sandals, and again hurried across the threshold hold of the manor to its very center. She stood in front of the door, taking in a slow, steady deep breath before she slid the doors open, closing them behind her without raising her eyes from the tatami mat of the room.  
"Kasumi, come." He ordered her.  
For a moment the young princess wondered if her father even knew how to interact with her apart from ordering her to do something. She mentally snorted to herself at the thought of her father being so inept as she walked to the back of the main hall, which was used for large gatherings and feasts. It was typically unused when there was no other nobles in the house. With just the two of them, they took to a less formal room where they dined in silence, which had always ate away at Kasumi as he never offered words of gratitude to the food she prepared and set for him.  
She had kept her gaze downcast, as was expected of her to appear meek and humble. Not that she wasn't humble, but she was not a meek woman.  
"Raise your eyes," he said, his voice a tad gentler, which was what had gotten Kasumi to raise her head enough to look at him, not his words. He was an aging man, lightly wrinkled in areas where his anger, annoyance, or stress would show, and his deep brown gaze was soft as he looked at her. She was stunned to see the wrinkles on his face were smoothed, as he looked at her with a love and affection that she had never afore witnessed.  
"Father?" She questioned softly, her shock slowly ebbing away the longer he stared down at her.  
His rough hand touched the smooth skin of her cheek, and she found herself practically nuzzling into the gentle touch he had rarely given her. Her hands were on his forearm, small, slender fingers wrapping around the limb in a light gentle manner. "You look so much like your mother." He said lovingly, to which he had the gaze of the princess once again. He had small tears building in his eyes but she knew he would not shed them.  
She struggled for a moment to wonder if the salty buildup of liquid in his weary brown orbs were of sorrow for their lost family member, or joy at seeing how much she resembled Yuriko. She chose not to question it as her fathers arms wrapped around her small frame and drew her into his chest. She hesitated a moment, again not used to the sensation of being touched so affectionately from her father, before her arms wound around him, her body too small to completely wrap around him, but she loved how small her father made her feel, and she felt so much like the seven year old child that cried every day. She burrowed her face into his haori and he returned the effort, hugging her closely and tightly like she would disappear from his life at any given second, and this was his one chance to show he loved her. "You have grown so much, so quickly my sweet Kasumi. My pure blossom." He said fondly, and this time she had difficulties withholding her tears from him. The salty liquid seeped from her closed eyes, wetting the front of his haori, but to him it didn't matter.  
"Father..." she practically whimpered into his embrace loving the feel of his gentle soothing hand in her hair, petting her and soothing her like Kyah had done and still did when she got too upset and cried.  
"I know; my young girl has grown so quickly. She is no longer girl, but is now a woman. My little babe is no longer little." He kissed the top of her hair, between the spot the base of her fox ears would be, but she doubted he would know that.  
She tried to lighten the mood by chuckling quietly. "Kyah had insisted that I will always be a child to her." She said, lightly pulling back from the hug enough to look up at the tall man she called her father. "I suppose that applies to you too father. I will always be a child to you. Your child. Wherever I am, however old I grow. I will still continue to be your child."  
Lord Ishikawa smiled at the pure hearted girl in his arms almost sadly. For a brief moment, she thought she saw something dark gleam in his eyes, as he painfully remembered this was not really his child, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared, replaced by the proud gaze a father could hold for the grown child. He wiped her wet cheeks with his hands, chuckling a bit as she again nuzzled into his warm rough hands before the two of them slowly pulled back, but stood notably closer together.  
"Kasumi, now that you are of age... I have granted you gifts to be used for your future wedding. An elegant kimono you can wear to the event, an assortment of hair ornaments for you to use to your pleasure, and a new pair of geta's for you to adorn. And a pair you may wear while you explore the grounds."  
She looked at him quickly, apprehensive about most of what he said, but instantly excited at the last bit. "You mean I may still wander the courtyard?" She asked, trying to appear ladylike but unable to hide her joy.  
"Within reason of course. You must maintain face, and within the walls of the courtyard, and you are not to travel to the castle gates, do you understand?" He asked, and looked stunned to see the purely innocent and childlike wonder in her eyes.  
"Yes, of course, father!" She said, quickly hugging him before he could react further. He looked at the top of her head, smiled softly and patted the black silk of her hair. This was apparently the only gift he needed to give his daughter for her to be truly happy.


	2. Chapter 2: Prison of Duty

Chapter Two:  
Prison of Duty

* * *

Kasumi stood in the center of her garden, admiring the multi colored koi fish that swam in the clear ponds. She watched in fascination as they swam in fluid, graceful movements, their seemingly flimsy looking fins providing a ripple at the waters surface as they turned to and fro. She was standing at the small bridge, leaning against the red wood, elbow propped up on the smooth material, chin resting in her open palm. She stared quietly at the fish, hearing the small crunch of dirt against sandaled feet, a cane scraping the ground until Kyah appeared in the reflection of the water.  
"My lady, you mustn't hide." Kyah chastised slowly.  
"I'm not hiding." She said simply. "I am admiring the koi fish father got me for my seventeenth birthday." She could see in the reflection Kyahs unamused expression, but it didn't change the placid look on the princess's face. She had become quite well trained in hiding all her inner emotions behind a placid mask, giving the eighteen year old a look of regality as she walked the halls of her home, as well as still maintaining the meek, humbleness to be seen of a lady.  
"If you are not hiding, then explain to me why you are in the garden, where a certain young lord is not allowed to be inside, when you have spent your afternoons enjoying the courtyard." Kyah said."I told you, I'm admiring the koi father got me." She said again.  
"Girl, I am no fool. I have known you since you were a newborn, and you cannot hide behind that noble woman's mask of yours. I know the kind of woman you are, my lady. You are hiding from this lord because you do not wish to marry him."  
Kasumi side glanced the older woman, before sighing a bit heavily and dropping her arm, letting it lazily lay over the bridge fencing. She truly could hide nothing from her old lady in waiting.  
"Alright fine, I am hiding from the boy lord Takami." She admitted, and received a firm smack on her rump from the wooden cane in Kyahs' grip. "Ouch, Kyah!" She exclaimed rubbing her back side and pouting at her like a child.  
Kyahs unwavering stern gaze held as she leaned her weight onto the cane as she set the end down.  
"He may be young, but he is still older than you, my lady, and you will show him the proper respect." She said, getting only a sigh from Kasumi. "Your father searched high and low to find a male that would suit your taste. First they are too old, now they are not old enough. What will it take to please you, girl?" She said exasperatedly.  
Kasumi held onto the bridge wall and leaned back, as if trying to pull the fence like structure towards her. She wouldn't admit to anyone, not Kyah, not her father, that in the men he had selected for her to choose from, not a one of them smelled right to her. Try as she might to ignore it, they all smelled quite foul to her sensitive nose. At first, she had assumed it was because of their age, maybe the sunken in reek of a battlefield, of blood and death, though she was not familiar with the stenches, she only assumed. So she had asked for a younger lord. One her father had called a green horn. He was the third born son of a neighboring land, and was handsome to look at, spoke politely to her, to her father and played an utter gentleman. He too reeked of the same stench as the old lords. She had yet to place the reek, and wondered if she would ever be able to know what it meant.  
"I know, Kyah." She said quietly, not hinting at her inner thoughts, and knowing Kyah would never pry her about them. "I just... I don't feel anything towards these men he has picked for me. Father said he married mother out of love, not obligation. He married a lower class woman because he adored her charm, her strength. I want a man to marry out of need like he had done with her. A man who will marry me because of love, not my title." Though it wasn't what was eating away at her, it did contribute to her decision to not even express interest in the men. "These men demand my hand in marriage. I want a man to ask for it. To beg for it. A man who will kneel before me, and plead with me to be his wife." She looked at Kyah, expecting to see understanding in the old crone's eyes, only to see complete shame. Shame at her, and her whimsical thoughts.  
"Those words must never reach your fathers ears, Kasumi." She said. "Or you will surely elicit his rage once again. He has since spoiled you on allowing you to choose who to marry based off of his choice in suitors, but if he hears you want such whimsical nonsense, he will take that luxury from you and force you to marry whoever he picks."  
Kasumi felt her heart sting with the ache of her words, not expecting her to say that, was hoping she would say words of encouragement, for her to be strong. What Kyah would normally do for her. She wasn't expecting such cynical behavior.  
Her lower lip trembled a bit, and her eyes stung with the burning need to release her tears.  
"Don't you give me that look," Kyah said and still the stern look never wavered. "I am getting old, I have tried hard to hold on for you, I wish to see you married, at the very least. I may not live long to hold your first born child, but I will fight to live to see you married to a good lord that will provide for your fathers land, as he has always done." Kasumi sniffled, wiping her bottom eyelid with the corners of her red robe. Kyah had shrunk more over the past four years. The once plump woman now looked withered, and frail, like a dried out plum, she looked as if a strong wind would knock her back. Kasumi had been unaware until recently, that Kyah, a woman she wished she could call mother, had contracted a severe disease. The doctor had told her Kyahs' body was fighting against her, eating away at her very muscles and bones. She could barely walk or stand for long before she would need to sit, and she could no longer rise on her own, or sit on her own. Her father had graced the old woman her very own sitting arrangements, something at a higher level she could ease herself into on her own. It was imported from a country called Korea, one Kasumi was unaware of, and in addition to the new seat her father called a chair, Kyah had also been granted a strange wooden frame with a solid bottom. It held the plushest of futons, and held it up from the ground. It had a roof like structure above it, and her own sheer fabric Kyah could draw around the frame. Korea was a most strange country to her, but she was happy her father had gone to great lengths to grant her comforts to ease her life.  
"You wish me to marry a man I do not like?" She asked quietly.  
"My dear, you are a princess. You can't always get the luxuries your heart desires. You must marry a man who will be good for the lands, and think of your whimsical thoughts as second. You will learn to at least like the man you will marry. Your mother did." Kyah said slowly, not yet realizing what she said till it was too late.  
"My mother?" Kasumi latched onto the information, and Kyah sighed, unable to keep it secret now.  
"Yes, your mother. She was as whimsical as you are. She wanted to marry a man she loved and who loved her. She wasn't granted that, not fully, at least. Your mother was a beautiful woman, and though she was a higher class than a commoner, she was nowhere near the qualifications for a lords wife. Your father, traveled through the country side, looking for a bride that would suit him. That was when he met your mother. She was about your age when they met, maybe a little younger. She and I had been friends long before she met him. I was the daughter of your grandmother's midwife. I helped deliver your mother, watched her grow and grew with her. Much like you." Kyah patted her arm, and looked down at the colorful fish Kasumi was so fond of. "Your father desperately tried to win her heart. He was such an earnest lad. He had big dreams and a kind heart. Alas, your mother did not see him in such a way. She loved him, yes, but no more than a friend. But he proposed to her, under her favorite peach tree, and he claimed such love and devotion for her, Yuri found herself telling him yes. But she... never loved him. Not in the way he has expressed for her in the years. No... your mother fell in love with another." Kyah stopped herself, closing her lips as she was about to say more. When she looked at the girl who looked like Yuriko, eagerly awaiting for her to continue, she shook her head with a small sigh. "You mustn't tell your father what I am about to tell you, dear one. He would surely have my head." She couldn't believe she was going to reveal to her Kasumi's true father, though in a way she would be happy to die, knowing that the girl she raised knew who her father was.  
"Out of the way, old woman." A gruff voice said. A forearm pressed against the old woman's frail bicep, putting in more effort than needed as he shoved her away, shattering the paper like bone of the arm that held her cane, and sending the woman tumbling down onto the hard stone paved bridge. With a disgusting crack, she landed on her hip, either breaking it or dislocating it, Kyah and Kasumi weren't sure. All Kasumi knew was that she was crying on the floor in pain, holding her broke arm and writhing on the floor from the pain in her hip.  
The princess went to move to help Kyah, knowing well if she remained on the floor much longer she would die.  
A broad chest moved into her view. Elegant robes over a haori, sturdy armor beneath the robes. She looked up at the face of the young lord called Takami, who was playing at being warrior. He was only a few years older than her, 23 from what she could recall, but she didn't care enough to remember once she met him. He was chiseled, and muscled, clearly spending more time trying to broaden those muscles instead of learning how to rule over a land. Perhaps because he was only the third son. She gave him the benefit of the doubt that he had assumed he would never hold the responsibility of being a feudal lord. At the same time though, with his handsome features, he was likely incredibly popular with the ladies, and he didn't seem the type to withhold them from his affections.  
Kasumi quickly backed away from him, putting space between them. She gave him a hard glare, hating the smug look on his face. "These gardens are for the royal family strictly." She stated, venom in her voice though her worry for Kyah outweighed her niceties as a princess.  
"Well since I will be marrying the princess, I came in." Takami said, closing the space between them, pinning her against the fence wall of the bridge. He was leaning over her as she tried desperately to lean as far from him as she could manage. He definitely knew the touch of a woman.  
"I have not agreed to wed you, Lord Takami." She practically growled at him.  
"Oh, but you will, my lady. No woman can resist me. A humble virgin maiden such as yourself will melt with my touch." He said cockily, pressing his lowest reach against her belly, and with disgust she could feel a stiff straight object rub against her abdomen. She knew what it was and she pushed at his shoulders with her hands. Unfortunately, she had to suppress her demon strength to preserve her appearance as a human.  
"You despicable man! Placing yourself so disrespectfully against a lady of higher stature than you! My father shall have your head for such behavior!" She shoved, and pushed but his hands were gripping her hips tightly enough she could feel the aggressive touch through her many layers.  
"Trust me, my maiden. You won't be resisting me for much longer once I have you. And the old woman will die before she could witness anything." Takami sneered.  
Kasumi shifted her head enough to see Kyah whose loud crises shifted to quiet, almost inaudible sobbing. Boiling rage filled her veins, so hot, the tips of her fingers burned, practically itched with the urge and sensation to put this creep in his place. She heard Takami's shout of pain before she smelled the burning clothes and flesh. She turned her attention back to him to see blue flames had envelopes her fingertips, and then her palms, the fire spreading out over Takami's chest, singeing his clothes. In her panic at the sight, she used her full strength and shoved him away. He stumbled backwards, over the edge of the bridge and right into the pond of koi. Kasumi wasted no time and hurried over to Kyah. She lifted the frail woman in her arms with ease, though she restrained her strength. Kyah was weightless. She was so skinny, so sickly she held no real body mass. She hid it well with the thick clothes, but it unnerved Kasumi to see just how bad a shape she was in.

* * *

Kasumi sat on her knees, her head lowered to the floor, forehead pressed to the tatami mat, hands held in a triangle formation above her head. She stayed like that, listening to her father prattle on and on and on, yelling here and there, accusing her of things. Doing and saying everything he could to her to keep her head lowered.  
"All this happened because you burnt the third son. We have lost over half our lands, and now there are no suitors who will marry a witch." She could hear her father fling his arms into the air and smack down against his thighs.  
"Please, forgive me for my brash actions, my lord. I moved on instinct when I saw Kyah in her state... I could not leave her to die in such an awful way." She tried hard to keep her voice leveled, and her tears held back.  
 _Kyah_. She whispered the name in the deepest part of her brain, sorrow filling the word.  
"I don't care about Kyah, Kasumi. You burned and seriously wounded a lords son. It doesn't matter your title when you go so far as to burn them." He stated, his tone stern, completely uncaring about her caretaker.  
Her head shot up immediately to glare daggers at him. "You will not speak so lightly of my mother!" She yelled at him.  
"Your mother? I said nothing about your mother." He scoffed, waving off her outburst.  
"Yes! You have! Kyah has raised me from birth! She has taught me, loved me, cared for me as if I were her own child. She went beyond the duties of a midwife, gave up her own personal life to ensure that I would have the best care. She fought off her illness just to see me wed! She is my mother by heart, and I will not hear you speak so ill of the dead!" By now, she was no longer in control over the hot tears streaming down her cheeks, the heart wrenched sob that escaped her rosy lips. Three months. It had been only three months since Kyah passed. Not from illness, but from the shattered bones of her body.  
She had broken more than Kasumi had previously assumed, and there was no way to save her. Kyah had died the very night she was pushed down. She had been unconscious from the medicine she was given, to help ease her pain for her passing, yet Kasumi remained glued to her bedside for days. The stench of the dead was nothing to the sweet smell of Kyah in her bedroom. She wept for six days, sitting on the floor right against her raised bed, her head resting on the soft cushions of the futon.  
No one could get her to leave, and it took her father dragging her out by her hair for her to move. She was cremated, and Kasumi insisted to place a pagoda for her in the garden she loved, beneath the peach tree that not only did Yuriko love, but the one Kasumi and Kyah spent most of their time around.  
Since then, Kasumi has fallen silent. She hasn't spoken, and has followed her tasks dutifully. She did not interact with the members of the house unless she needed to, and when her father screamed at her for harming the young lord, she did not draw up any excuse, and did not say anything to him about what transpired. She knew he wouldn't hear anything she wanted to say regardless.  
It took the young princess only three months to completely shut out her emotions. She locked them away with the part of her she had to hide from the world since she was a baby. Her curious nature, the rambunctious wild side, the occasionally vicious side, and the child likeness that all came from her fox genes. She locked it all up tight. She was unfeeling for the most part.  
But the minute she witnessed her father belittling the woman she loved, the rage fueled the fire in her belly all over again, and her speech found its way out.  
"Well because of your damn stubbornness, you will likely never marry! No man wants to marry a girl that will set a man on fire!" He yelled back at her.  
"He was attempting to lay his hands on me in an explicit manner! How else was I to defend myself when he was so easily able to enter _my_ garden?!" She asked. " _My_ garden that I tended to with _my_ mother, that I have spent countless hours playing in as a child, because you refused to allow me to have any friends! Kyah was my only! She was my life, my love, my sweet happiness. She was my everything! She was my everything and that bastard took her from me! He is lucky to have gotten away with burn marks alone!"  
Lord Ishikawa struck her, the back of his hand connecting to her jaw and cheek so hard, she saw black spots in her vision, and her head spun. She held the quickly swelling cheek with both her hands, bewildered by the sight of the angry look on her fathers face.  
"It is not your garden! It is within _my_ castle walls, therefore it is _my_ garden that I have allowed the old woman to enter, despite that she should never have been able to! I even allowed you to put an offering and small pagoda for her! And don't you dare use that word again, young lady! A princess never speaks such vulgar words! And if that lord wanted to lay with you, then you should have let him! Princess or not, you are no one to deny a man what he desires!"  
"So I am to be like lady mother was, attached to a man she did not love? To be with someone when she loved another?" She questioned. His eyes went dark, and she remembered that bleakness in them from four years prior, when they had shared a sweet father and daughter moment for the first time.  
"That wretched old woman!" He yelled, and moved to walk to the doors of the main hall. Kasumi grabbed his arm to try and keep him from leaving, unsure of what he would do, but he shoved her off him quickly and roughly, sending her stumbling into the floor on her back. She caught herself with her hands, ignoring the mild pain she felt in her wrist and the heel of her palm. "To believe I let a shrine be made in her honor." He said before slamming the sliding door behind him, breaking the thin wood that held it together, the sharp ends cutting into the white paper. At his words, she suddenly knew exactly where he was going and what he was doing. She scampered up, and hurriedly ran off after him, uncaring how she must look. Teary eyes, red swollen cheek, scrapped palms, rumpled kimonos and disheveled hair. She had looked far worse when she was forced to leave Kyahs death bed, but it was still unbecoming of her.  
Her concerns were pushed aside and she made her way into the garden. She ran to her father who had walked over the bridge to the peach tree where Khays small grave site was, and grabbed his arm, holding on as tightly as she could without breaking the limb. He yelled incoherently at her, and she held onto him for dear life.  
"Please, father! Do not do this! Do not destroy my memorial of her! Please father, I beg of you! This is all I have left of my Kyah! Please don't take it from me!" She sobbed into his sleeve, letting herself be dragged as he tried to wiggle his arm free. Eventually he grew frustrated and tired of the struggle and smacked her again with the same force if not more than before. Stunned into a blackness at the blow to the head, her grip on his haori loosened enough that when he flung her away she went flying, her head slamming into the post of the fence bridge wall, her forehead meeting with the corner of the post and she came tumbling down onto the stone, warm liquid slowly oozing from the new long gash that seeped into her hair line. She laid there, head throbbing, disoriented enough she didn't yet realize what was happening as she watched her father stomp and break the trinkets and toys around the memorial for Kyah, the toys she had played with her once upon a time. He stomped out the incense, the oil lamp. He destroyed everything, smashing the pagoda into the wall behind the peach tree. The last thing he grabbed was the wooden cane that smelled so heavily of the deceased woman, Kasumi couldn't bare part with it. He snapped the cane in two and tossed it across the gardens where she faintly heard it slam into the one of the stone walls that surrounded them, and another shatter could be heard as it broke further.  
Dazed, she looked up as her father reached down, and for a brief hopeful moment, she thought he was going to check on her well-being, see if she was okay, still not realizing what happened.  
It came back to her suddenly, as she felt a searing pain as if her skin was being ripped or pulled or yanked right out of her scalp. Her hands went up to wrap around Ishikawa's wrist, as she screamed from the pain of him holding her up by one of her fox ears, not even noticing that in her delirious state her illusion fell. She stared at him, his face blurred by tears but she knew there was an angry dissatisfied expression on it.  
"I should have known keeping a filthy half breed in my walls would cause me nothing but trouble." He said, and out of spite, perhaps pure anger, he grabbed the other fox ear and together pulled them both hard, yanking them and her scalp and getting another scream of pain from the fox.  
"P-papa... pl-please..." she cried softly, both hands holding each of his wrists now. "Papa..." she whimpered, that child within her that wondered why her papa hated her slipped out, and she whimpered and whined and pleaded him. "Papa, I love you. Why does papa hate me? What have I done to papa? I love papa. I try to do my very best just for papa, and he hates me. Why...? Papa..." she blinked, her tears spilling down her cheeks swiftly and under her chin.  
Lord Ishikawa blinked, the rage that had been inside of him previously gone from his system the instant he heard the childlike phrase she had called him when she first learned to speak. Her questioning why he hated her stopped him from yanking on her ears, and he let go. She fell to her knees, crumbling into a heap of loud sobbing and weeping. He got on his knees before her, and pulled her in for a hug, laying one hand on the back of her gold and black locks, and the other against her shoulders, rubbing the shaking girl as she cried.  
He didn't answer her questions, knowing she wouldn't understand them, not in this state. He told himself he loved her, even if she wasn't biologically his baby, he did love her like she was. "My sweet girl..." he whispered into her hair, letting her sob into his shoulder.


	3. Chapter 3: Prison of Obligation

Chapter Three:

Prison of Obligation

* * *

"Kasumi, you can't sit on me like this all day." Ishikawa huffed. It had probably been only a few weeks since the meltdown between the two of them, and his daughter had yet to break out of her trance. She was sitting in the center of his crossed legs, her legs swung over one of the folded limbs, her arms wrapped around his neck, and her nose nuzzled into his neck. Her ears are flat against her hair, her tail down, which told him she was still sullen, and when he tried to move a little she instantly moved with him, not allowing there to be space at all between them. Here he was just trying to sign off on a few documents in private, since because of her suddenly clingy nature he could not allow people to see her behaved in this way... or her looks, and yet she was making the simple task too difficult. She used to sit on his lap like this when she was two, up until she was four.  
She would sit in his lap and mostly did as she pleased there. She would nap there while he worked, played with one of the many toys he got her. On more than one occasion she had successfully distracted him enough for him to play with her, typically for hours on end. He held the memory fondly, despite that that was a time where her ears and tail were still oh so visible. But she had been sweet, and pure, and innocent. She still remained that, he supposed. But she was hurt. Emotionally and physically. She had hurt herself severely when he threw her off him, which explained why she behaved mostly like a four year old that latched to him. Except she was now too big to sit in his lap the same way, and him too old to play with her or keep up with her energy. He figured that it would pass once she had healed, but he wondered how long it would take her before it would happen.  
Eventually, he gave up on the work and focused on rubbing the base of her fluffy, laid back ears. She whimpered lightly from the pain of contact but he continued the slow and gentle massage until she had relaxed. Once she had, Ishikawa then stroked her ears, down her back and over her head and then up again to her head and down once more. He petted her, the not at all kit, kit, settling into his lap with a satisfied sigh.  
"Such a spoiled fox you turned out to be." He said softly, comforting her in the way Kyah had shown him. "Kasumi, do you want to hear a story... about your mother?" He asked her gently. Silence.  
She was breathing softly, her hold on him had slacked some, and her ears didn't flicker or move when he spoke. When he was about to get back to work, assuming she fell asleep, he felt her nod against his shoulder.  
"Alright," he said, placing the brush down and resuming the attempt to soothe her. "You know that I loved her very much, yes?" When he felt her small nod again, he continued. "I always wanted to believe she loved me too. I knew she didn't when I asked her to marry me, but my time was running short. I had to bring back a bride or one would be picked for me. I was surprised when she agreed, but knew that she could grow to love me the way I did her." The petting stopped now that she was calmer and had less of a death grip on him. "I was very wrong about that. I grew jealous, and angry with her. She had met a different lord, a kind man, who showed her tricks, and told her jokes that made her laugh in ways I could never have accomplished. She loved him so deeply, and I hated him so much for him taking her heart from me. The man she had met and loved, was a fox demon. I don't know much but I assumed he loved her too. He had to have, Yuri was a woman worth loving no matter status or race."  
Kasumi listened quietly to the story, wondering how much of what he spoke of as true, but continued to remain quiet as he went on. "I can only assume that fox was the one that impregnated her. I doubt she would have let any male get so close to her she didn't love. Nine months later, she gave birth to a beautiful kit. Your mother did die after childbirth but only because I wouldn't allow anyone to help her during it. Her death was avoidable but I let her die in my anger. I would have killed you too... but you... you were just a babe. Innocent to the world, pure and sweet. I couldn't bring myself to kill you. I have regretted letting Yuriko die many times, yet I fear what would have happened if she hadn't. Would she leave me for the fox? Would she send you away to be with him? I can only say that I... am grateful to have had the chance to have such a wonderful daughter. Whether you are biologically mine or not I love you like my own. I... my anger with you that has left you bruised and wounded... I cannot apologize for my actions, as it won't change anything that happened. But understand, my blossom, I do not hate you. I forget myself sometimes... with my old age it becomes harder for me to separate a bit. But I love you. My child, my daughter, forever. Even if you do not wish to keep me as your father, and wish to seek out the fox father, you will always be my daughter."  
They laid in content silent for a while, his hand on her back, rubbing it gently. He wondered if she understood anything he had said, until he felt her hug him in a tender manner.  
"I love you too, father. Despite everything. You... you are my father. And I can't stay angry with you. I am hurt by what you have said and done, but I can't hate you." She sat back from the hug, to see a tender smile on her old man's face, causing her to smile a little bit.

* * *

Slender fingers slid into cool water, reaching down to grab a cloth at the bottom of a small pail. Kasumi pulled the white material out and carefully twisted it, wringing the water free from the absorbent material before she folded it and pressed it gently around the face of her father. She did the task several times until the moisture on his face was from the cool water alone and not from his pores. She pushed back his thinning hair with her damp hand, soothing him like he did her in several occasions over the past year and a half. His forehead wrinkled together, and his eye lids parted to view the girl attending to him.  
He took her hand from his head, surprising Kasumi but she simmered down when she saw the joy wash over his features.  
"My Yuriko..." he said softly, reaching up a withered hand to touch Kasumi's cheek. "My precious Yuriko."  
"My lord," Kasumi said, a sullen look crossing her features at her fathers confusion.  
"My Yuriko, why do you look so sad?" He asked, gently gliding his thumb over her rosy cheeks.  
"My lord, I am not Yuriko. I am her daughter, Kasumi." She said, wrapping her hands around his.  
His brow furrowed further in his confusion. "My Yuriko, where is my Yuriko?" He questioned, sitting up and suddenly gripping Kasumi's shoulders roughly. "My Yuriko, what have you done to my wife?!" He shouted at her. He shook her, and rattled her, and Kasumi desperately tried to keep her anger in check at her father.  
"Papa! Momma died." She said, which succeeded enough in him ceasing his rough actions against her. Kasumi touched the old mans face, rubbing her thumb on his wrinkled cheek. "Momma died years ago, papa. She's gone. I'm her daughter. I am your daughter, papa. Remember? I am Kasumi. You named me pure blossom. You love me. I look like momma right?" Confused still, Lord Ishikawa nodded slowly. "That means I'm her daughter. Momma died." At the last bit, the old man broke down and collapsed into the lap of the young girl claiming to be his wife's daughter.  
"My Yuriko..." he whispered through his cries. He felt small slender fingers glide down his back, over his trembling spine, another hand petting his receding hairline. He wrapped his arms around the girl and sobbed quietly for several long minutes.  
After a while, he had cried himself to sleep again, and Kasumi eased him back into his futon, tucking him in. She placed the cool rag over his brow before she stood up with the pail in her hands.  
She strolled through the quiet halls of the manor, out into the courtyard where she slipped on her sandals, before stepping onto the gravel. She took the water from within the pail and flung it towards the trees and its flowered neighbors before she began the process of refilling it with clean water.  
She tied back the sleeves of her yukata as she worked the crank with her small arms to pump out the water. Just as the water began to pour from the spigot, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun around quickly, to see the smug smirk of Takami. She glared at him, yanking her arm from his hold.  
It was in the middle of the night, the air warm and humid even now, everyone inside the manor was likely sound asleep. There would be no one around to witness anything in the courtyard.  
"Do not touch me." She stated, keeping her words clipped. She grabbed the half full pail and quickly turn away from Takami.  
"Now now, my maiden." He said, quickly strolling right up behind her and placing a hand at the small of her back, fingers sliding up her obi sash. "Don't be that way. You should be grateful that I have still agreed to marry you despite your witchy powers."  
Kasumi gritted her teeth and pulled Takami's hand out from her obi sash. "Do. Not. Touch. Me." She said again, saying each word individually and sternly.  
"Heh, I like my women feisty like you, my lady." He walked up to her again, a hand tipping her chin up to look at him, the other sliding right back up her obi sash at her back.  
"I am not your woman." She said taking the pail and flinging it towards him, covering the young lord in the cold water. Takami stood there, drenched, his long brown hair clinging to his face and neck, his expensive looking haori soaked through.  
He was stunned of course, and Kasumi took the chance to slip away from his grasp. She turned to run away but Takami had recovered too quickly and grabbed her wrists.  
"You damn wench!" He yelled at her, roughly yanking her back, pulling her into his sopping wet clothes. His grip on her wrist was painful, and he pulled her towards the castle walls that kept it safe from the outside world, and right into the trees that lined along it. He shoved her against the trunk of one of the larger trees, and pushed himself between her legs, forcibly parting her yukata.  
"No!" She yelled at him, shoving at his chest and pushing him back as much as she could. He grabbed both her hands and pinned them above her head with only one of his. With his free one he slid his it through the top of her yukata, opening it up slightly before he roughly yanked it open. The sleeves fell down her shoulders, revealing her collar bone and the space between it and her breasts. She shuddered in disgust when she felt his tongue slither across her neck and his hand slid underneath her yukata, sliding up her leg and opening the material up further.  
Kasumi had sworn to her father she would not use her magic, and give this man a chance, since he was the only suitor willing to still marry her. Since her father had started to loose his mind, she agreed only because she knew the lands would need a lord and she didn't like this man, but he had a use. With his presence here, she had time now to focus on her father and to help heal him, care for him... while lord Takami learned the ropes from the advisors. The past eight months had been a nightmare with him here but she had shoved it all down. And she continued to shove it down when she felt the cold breeze against her exposed flesh, tears in her closed eyes.  
She could feel his fingers scrapping across her body, and she bit back her cries as he finally decided he would untie her sash. She felt his fingers gripping the material from behind, likely intending to untie the bow in the back, when she suddenly felt herself yanked backwards, which was odd, because she knew she was pinned to a tree. She opened up her eyes, just as she felt a light, smooth material draped over her form, covering her head, right down to her ankles. The robe was large on her, and it covered her from the outside world, even the moisture of humidity couldn't reach her in the cool material. The fabric was a light shade of blue, almost completely covered in it, the edges of the it a darker shade, with little fox like faces etched into it in white. She looked up, the light of the half-moon illuminating the owner of the robe. He was a tall man, slender, and he wore a dark blue hakama that matched the color on the robe, and a light blue haori.  
She marveled at him. He had golden locks, pulled straight back into a high and tight pony tail, and still it hung to his mid back, but what she noted even more was the large golden ears atop his head, and the matching tail that he had wrapped around her, in safety. The fox man looked down at her from over his shoulder, and she gasped at the sight of the gem colored eyes she had only ever seen when looking in a mirror. She could see the smile in them, and she instantly felt at ease. She drew the robe around her, covering her completely and allowed the fox to keep her concealed in the large tail.  
Takami came out from the tree line, glaring at the fox demon who had interrupted him. She hadn't realized before, but he had loosened his own robes at one point, and now was struggling to keep them up as he tried to face off against the demon. "You!" He tried but anything he tried to say was cut short when glowing blue orbs of fire began to float around the demon. He bit back his words and turned to Kasumi. "You and your lands will fall, you will never find a man to marry a wench like you." He hissed. He didn't hesitate to walk off towards the manor, trying to keep his hakama around his waist.  
Kasumi's heart sank. She was doomed. Her people were doomed. Her father... if he was aware of reality, he would be ashamed and would die knowing his land would fall. She swirled and moped about in her mind, when she saw a shift in the demon, and she looked up to see him handing her something.  
In his palm were berries. Strange in color, they gleamed in the moonlight an almost iridescence purple. She looked up at the man, whose smile was so warm and affectionate, she found herself taking the offered berries.  
"What..." she started to ask him what they were for but stopped. "Who are you?" She asked him, softly.  
"Don't you worry about that answer, my little kit." He said softly, rubbing the top of her head, right in the middle of where her ears would be, and she practically melted at the warm sensation. He just felt so safe and comforting. She wanted to wrap herself up in his fur and warmth and never leave it. "Give those to your father. They will help him." He said, stroking her hair and then her cheek. Before she could question him again, the warmth of his hand and fur were gone, and he had vanished from her sight. She blinked, pulling his robes around her shoulders, inhaling the deep scent of woods and peaches.


	4. Chapter 4: Prison of Illness

**Chapter Four:**

 **Prison of Illness**

* * *

"You're wearing that again?" Lord Ishikawa eyed his daughter as she filled him a cup of tea.  
"Mhmm.." Kasumi said in confirmation. Underneath her typical robes that indicated her house, she had the haori* robe she had obtained from her mysterious savior. She hadn't taken it off since. There was something about the robe that was comforting to her. It kept her warm when she was cold, it chilled her when she was too hot. It was sturdy and didn't get destroyed too easily like the other robes she had. Not to mention that even after six months of having it, it still smelled like woods and peach trees. "It's a memento." She explained simply, handing her father a cup of his tea. She ignored his eye roll as she placed the cup in front of him. "After all the man that gave me this robe is also the very man who was able to provide a cure to your ailment."  
"Humph." She could hear the pout in his tone and she chuckled softly.  
"Father, be grateful he helped us. He even got rid of Takami for us." Kasumi said.  
"Yes but there's still the issue of your marriage." He pointed out and her smile faltered. "I won't force you to marry Takami, he's an awful child. But you still need to wed young lady and quickly bare an heir for this position. I won't live long and you know this."  
"I know but... those men you picked father really weren't the greatest. They all reeked with corruption and greed. None would have benefited the kingdom. They would have brought shame to our house." She rubbed her fathers shoulder gently, reassuring the grumpy old feudal lord. "I'm a half demon, remember? I will live a long, healthy life so long as I stay within the castle walls and stay away from other demons. That's what you've told me since I was a child. I know you are strict about traditions, but perhaps I may be more well suited for this land after you pass. And the role can pass onto the man I marry, and eventually our first born son. That way it gives me time to find someone suitable."  
He grumbled irritably at her reasoning, knowing she was right and openly dreading that she was. He was old, past his prime and he did not want to die like Kyah had. He loved his daughter, and she was absorbent in her knowledge, even picked up things a princess should never have learned like cooking. He still disapproved of it, but because of the way she grew up, he allowed her to learn. She seemed to love it, and was fairly efficient.  
"Fine... fine..." he sighed heavily at his daughters persistence and her confidence.  
Kasumi gave him a sweet smile, which he caved into quickly and smiled back at her. Yuriko was only a few years older than Kasumi when she passed, yet it still astounded him how alike they were. It was likely due to Kyahs raising, as the old woman behaved similarly to her childhood friend.  
They sat in silence for several long minutes, content in the peace it brought between them, when suddenly the two of them could hear the rapid approach of a guard. His armor clanked together as he half jogged through the manner, and pulled the door open to the family sitting room.  
"My lord, my lady," he said quickly, bowing at the waist. "I have news for you, my lord."  
"Speak," Ishikawa said heftily, a bit annoyed the quiet tea time was being interrupted. Again.  
"There are outsiders at the gate, claiming there is an evil aura hovering above the manor." The guard said.  
"What kind of outsiders?" Kasumi questioned curiously. She could vaguely pick up the scent of dog, fox, and cat.  
"A monk approached us, but he is accompanied by a yōkai taijjiya*, and three demons." He explained, his head still lowered.  
"Send them away," Ishikawa said, again his words heavy with annoyance.  
"We have tried many times, my lord, but they have insisted. The demon in red has even threatened to breakdown our walls if we did not allow them to exterminate the demon presence." The guard told him.  
Ishikawa rubbed his temple and finally stood up. "Kasumi, stay put. I will go deal with these outsiders." He said and left the room, the guard following behind his Lord.  
Kasumi sat in silence, watching her father go. _An evil aura?_ She asked herself. If there was evil in the castle she would have smelt it. Wouldn't she? She hadn't paid much attention within the last several months, too worried and stressed about her fathers health, concerned he would fall ill again if she wasn't focused on him.  
She attuned her senses, closing her eyes as if she would be visually distracted if she didn't. She breathed in slowly, quieting her sounds and movement. When she felt at peace, she opened her eyes again, and could visibly see the darkness in the air. She jumped up, and dashed out the room and followed her fathers path to the courtyard, and out to the front gates.  
There stood a large group of five, two tall males, and two females. One of the females was holding a tiny fox, which she instantly recognized from his scent. She assumed he was one of the three demons the guard spoke of. The woman holding her wore a strange outfit. She bore a green hakama*... well what looked like a hakama that was cut short and reached low, exposing her slender legs, her feet warmers, and odd brown material her foot was sheathed in. Her tunic was long, white, green cuffs at the sleeves, and a red handkerchief resting at her breasts, encased in a green... thing she couldn't place the name of. She was clearly dressed oddly enough anyone could assume she was a demon. But Kasumi could sense the power of purity within the girl that was stronger than any priest to come to the manor before to cleanse the home. She was clearly a miko*.  
Standing beside her was a man completely clothed in red, his arms crossed grumpily over his chest, clawed fingers drumming against his bicep. He bore a sword at his hip, the hilt looking worn and ragged, overused, and his eyes shimmered like ambers, bright and gold, despite the annoyance held there. What struck her most was the white tips that poked out at the top of his white hair, the locks reaching down to his waist. He had ears. Cute, small little ears that wiggled every so often when there was a new sound. She could see the pink insides, and wondered idly how soft they would be. She's never even touched her own ears.  
The kit in the Miko's arms was wearing a kosode* of turquoise, a fur wrapped vest over his shoulders, fox like feet, and a fluffy cream colored tail. She thought he looked cute, and suddenly she had the desire to hold him herself. In front of the miko and the dog demon, were too humans, a small two tailed nekomata* by the woman's side. The woman was obviously the taijjiya, as she was the only one holding a large weapon on her back shaped like a boomerang. Kasumi briefly assumed that it had been a demons bones at one point, as she vaguely recalled yōkai taijjiya used left over demon remains to forge weapons that helped kill more demons. She wore a simple kimono, dark pink and a light pink, outdoor sandals, a green apron, and a blue pouch she had tied around her neck. She was pretty, at least in Kasumi's eyes. Her dark brown hair reached her waist, tied together near the end. She was toned, even beneath her kimono, she could safely determine the taijjiya was a strong woman. The monk, standing slightly in front of her, wore traditional monk garbs, a staff in his hands, mala* beads around his right hand, which was mostly cover, and Kasumi thought that was strange. He was average looking, to her at the least, but he had a friendly voice and face.  
"Please, we beg you," the monk pleaded, now to the guards and Ishikawa. "This evil aura over your home can kill everyone in it. We must act quickly."  
Her father scoffed. "Begone, monk. This here estate is regularly cleansed by a priest from the temples up in the mountains. There is nothing here for you."  
"Alright fine, then well just force our way in!" Th dog demon in red exclaimed, his hand on the hilt of his sword. He had a rough way of speaking, but she could somehow sense that he too was worried about the estate. Or at least about the aura.  
She could see her father rearing up to argue back, and Kasumi took the chance and approached them. She place her hand on his shoulder, and the other on his upper arm. He looked down at her, his anger now directed towards her.  
"I told you to stay put!" He exclaimed, but she just smiled gently at him.  
"I know father but I had to tell you myself." She said.  
"Tell me what, girl? Can't it wait?" He questioned.  
She shook her head slightly. "I'm afraid not, father. If we do not allow these people to assist, then surely many evils will befall upon us. They are correct, about this evil aura surrounding the estate. It is foul, and it will take a hold of the area soon." She said softly, her eyes still on her father. She could feel ten pairs of eyes on her as she spoke, and it made her a bit nervous at the attention. She was grateful that her barrier was perfected enough no one could smell or see her demon blood.  
"Then we will call a priest from the temple over. We won't take help from these mistfit outsiders." He gestured to the group, and she could hear a faint growl from the dog demon.  
"I fear that would not be wise," she said slowly. "It would take the priests too long to get here to clear our lands. This awful aura grows stronger by the second. Let these people stay until they can clear out the demon. I will handle the guests, father. You needn't worry about their presence."  
"I won't allow demons to stay here." He grumbled. Kasumi held back the need to roll her eyes. Instead she walked past him, eliciting a panicked response from Ishikawa, to the group in front of the gates. This was her first time standing beneath the archway that lead to the outside world.  
She could see the large expanse of dense trees, a paved dirt path leading through it, and the horizon beyond, illuminating a village off in the distance in orange. They were on a hill. Kasumi had never noticed before, but they were on a large hill that overlooked the lands they owned, starting with the village and extending outward beyond her eyes reach.  
She blinked a little to get herself to refocus, and turned to face her father. She placed a small hand on the monks wrist. "This man is a monk, father. He has great spiritual energy." She then placed her other hand on the taijiya's shoulder. "She is a demon slayer, likely from the yokai taijiya village in the mountains. I am sure she has been training since she was very young." She moved her hands away from them and gestured to the woman in strange clothes. "Despite this ones demon like attire, she is a miko. A very strong one, too. I could feel her spiritual energy from within the manor. And the dog demons sword is quite powerful. He also has a strong energy. This a group of people who sought out our estate to help clear the air. They are experienced enough that they were able to sense that which has been hidden to me until just a few moments ago. These are capable, strong people, father, and they wish to help us. Demon or no, they have no ill intentions. And I am sure you are aware not all demons have ill wills." She gave him a hard look, and he seemed to retract his earlier words.  
He sighed heavily and shook his head. "Girl, you should learn to keep that all knowing confidence hidden." He said dryly, getting a small giggle from his daughter. "Fine. Since my daughter has convinced me of your intentions, you may stay here until you rid this demon. Be warned though, my daughter can sense these evils too, and she will know when it is taken care of. If we discover a lie, you will not leave this estate alive." Ishikawa turned abruptly and started to walk away. "Kasumi, prepare the rooms for the guests, and inform the servants of their presence here."  
"Yes, my lord, right away." She bowed to him slightly, unable to hide her pleased smile.

* * *

"So you all are searching for this demon, Naraku?" Kasumi questioned as she poured tea for her guests.  
"Yes, and we have reason to believe he's in these lands. We sensed his aura hovering over this castle, but it seems he just passed over it." The monk named Miroku explained.  
"Yes, that powerful aura I sensed earlier is slowly dissipating." Kasumi agreed, relieved that the evil aura was leaving the castle.  
"It still lingers, however. It would be best if we stayed until it was completely gone. Usually whenever there's a strong demonic presence all other demons either come out or stay in hiding until it's gone, and then come out." Miroku stated.  
"I will make sure to placate father, so as he does not send you all out before you believe it is safe to leave." Kasumi informed,  
"Thank you, princess." The monk said, giving her a friendly smile. "Might I ask you, are you a married woman?"  
"No, sir monk, I am not." She could feel her eye twitching. She could sense the vibes coming from the two women, and could sense the sudden Ill intent in the monk.  
"That's a shame, a princess as beautiful as you are should have the finest husband." He said.  
"Yes, I should. The last man who tried to wed me without my consent wound up getting covered in burn scars. The next man who tries to do so, will likely get far worse than that."  
The friendly look on the monks face turned pale, and the two women kind of seemed surprised, but giggled at the monks harsh rejection before it could even become a confession.  
The monk cleared his throat, trying to extinguish the conversation he was trying to start in favor of a new one. "So my lady, how can you sense this evil aura?"  
"My mother came from a long line of exorcists and monks and priestess. She was the third daughter, so she didn't need to practice the trade but it came very easy to her. I suspect I inherited my skill from her, though it took long hours of perfecting. I can at least sense when someone has ill intentions." Kasumi saw no need to hide this aspect of her life. What she said about her mother was 100% true, but her accuracy in sensing what she could sense likely came from her demon blood more than her priestess blood.  
"Is that why we can't sense anything from you?" He questioned. "We've noticed for some time now, you do not radiate any energies. We can of course sense you are a live person, and are human, but nothing else about you seems to be monumental enough to show you have spiritual energy strong enough to sense evil."  
She was prepared for this line of questioning. She always had been. From her sleeve she pulled out a fake sutra. It was fake enough that it radiates spiritual energies of strong monks but the sutra itself was nothing more than parchment with words written on it. "My father has been overprotective of me since I was still an infant. When I was born, the monks gifted me this sutra to protect me. It holds a barrier around me, that protects my aura, keeps it hidden so to speak."  
"He's over protective of you?" The slayer questioned.  
"Yes. It wouldn't do to have a woman with as strong an aura as my own to be sensed even by mortal men. Plus I've been known to attract the attention of unwanted observers."  
"What's wrong with a woman having a strong aura?" The Taijiya Sango asked, a deep frown etched on her pretty face.  
"While things may be different where you come from, Sango, as a lady of the estate I have to remain practically unseen. In most social occasions I'm merely decoration. If my aura is too strong, then I will be noticed. I can't appear strong to any. I must appear weak, and humble. Such is the fate of most women in my position." Kasumi explained, slowly sipping at her tea.  
"That doesn't bother you at all?" The miko Kagome asked.  
"On occasion, it can be quite frustrating, especially since my father can be an unreasonable man at times. I'm honestly surprised he didn't yell at me for stepping in earlier. If he does, he might do so later. But I've since accepted my role and what's expected of me. I've grown used to not being allowed certain freedoms." Kasumi gave the women a warm smile, noting their displeased expressions, but their silence showed the lady that they wouldn't press further.  
They had idle chit chat for several long hours, lasting through the evening and well after the moon had reached its peek in the starry sky. Kasumi was amused by the group. The hanyou* Inuyasha was particularly amusing as she discovered the dog demon was half human, like herself. He behaved so naturally around his humans, and the humans responded equally as such. She enjoyed watching them, and wondered if this was how all groups of friends acted around each other. Servants shied away from her, so she never once witnessed them being sociable, and even Kyah hadn't been sociable unless she was scolding something the princess was doing.  
She sat there in silence, the background noise of the group filling her ears yet not reaching them. Thoughts of her caretaker still filled her with pain and sorrow, and it was quickly taking a hold of her thoughts. She didn't even notice the servant calling out to her until she heard the miko call her name out in concern.  
"Hm? Oh, I apologize. I seemed to have lost myself for a moment." She gave them a tender smile, and turned her attention to the servant. "Yes? What can I do for you?"  
"My lady, please excuse me for interrupting you and our guests, but the lord has been calling out for the lady Yuriko again." The servant said.  
"He is? Did he not take the medicinal tea?" She asked.  
"His afternoon tea was left unfinished after our visitors arrived, and the lord hasn't left his study since. He has refused to allow anyone to traverse inside. We can hear him weep for his loved one from the door." The servant said steadily, and Kasumi held back her sigh.  
"Very well, prepare his tea, and something to help him sleep. Bring it to his rooms, I will lead him back." Kasumi stood, and then bowed to the group of friends. "Please excuse me, I have other duties to attend to that demand my attention. Please, enjoy your stay here." She said, and quickly excused herself and left the room.  
She walked swiftly to her fathers study, and slowly opened the door. She was grateful the servants had enough sense in them to leave before she could arrive. No one needed to hear her father act beside himself. She slid the door open, and slipped inside soundlessly. Her fathers study was typically a room kept tidy, wooden shelves held various bamboo bound parchment her father called books, a few scrolls, and various other knickknacks. The center of the room was her fathers desk, typically kept clean despite the amount of parchment that littered its surface. It was fairly plain room for a lord but her father, despite his title was a simple man with simple tastes. Even the decorations around the estate were simple until Kasumi took over the estate lady's duties. She never did get her hands on his study though. Looking at the room now, however, she was somewhat grateful she hadn't been able to. The typical spic and span room was thrown into a disarray, the wooden shelves empty of their contents, the floor littered with books and scrolls, ink brushes and bottles staining the tatami mat, his desk thrown over onto its side, the parchment thrown over the edge, the ink staining it so none of the words were legible on its surface. Her father was standing at the back of the room, holding a painting of a beautiful woman clad in a pink kimono, standing next to a strapping young man she recognized as a younger version of her father. She pressed her lips together, and slowly approached him. He seemed easier to console when he was like this if she behaved as a four year old, she had even altered her shape to appear as the small kit he would likely remember. "Papa?" She asked softly.  
He turned sharply to face her, and she could see the anger and sorrow in his eyes, the guilt even. "Kasumi, what are you doing up so late?"  
She hurried over to him, and hugged his waist. "I had a nightmare. Can I sleep with papa tonight?" She asked, giving him a gentle squeeze.  
She could feel him relax after a few minutes, and his hand was in her hair.  
"You should really learn to sleep in your own room, Kasumi." He said gently. "Come on, let's get you to bed." He took her hand and lead her to his room. She was grateful the servants had already prepared the tea and left it in his rooms. Her father dressed in his sleeping clothes, and sat by the futon. Kasumi made her way onto his lap, and was pleased by his chuckle. He sipped his tea till the kettle was empty, and before she knew it, he was fast asleep on the futon, his daughter laying right beside him.  
Since his mind has been failing him, she often slept in his room regardless, and the second futon was laid out as if it was normal. She scooted into the futon, and laid down, facing her father. She watched him sleep a while longer until she eventually drifted herself.

* * *

"...umi! Kasumi!" Loud yelling broke through the dreary blanket of sleep for the young princess, and her eyes opened. She saw orange and red around her, and was unusually warm. She wiped the sleep from her eyes with one hand, and the blurry bright colors came into focus. Fire.  
Her fathers rooms were cast ablaze, and her father was laying on the floor, so far away from her. She could vaguely make out red on his white yukata, and could smell the sickening metallic stench of blood. "Father?" She asked, as he was getting further and further away until she could see the gaping hole in the roof. "Father!" She screamed, reaching a hand out to him and trying to get to him. A tight squeeze around her small frame stopped her movements long enough for her to look up.  
An orc held her over his shoulder. His skin was as red as the flames below her, his hair a dark mane down his back. He had large tusks protruding from his lips, and a gnarly snarl emanating from them. She screamed and tried to shove away from him. She pounded at his back and screamed for her fathers help. "Father! Father!" She yelled and cried. The orc got further and further above the estate and she could see the entire building set a blaze, the roof caved in in several areas, demons surrounded the area, distracting the group of travelers as they fought desperately to rid the manor of them.  
"Unhand me at once, you vile creature!" She yelled, hitting his back with as much strength as she could muster. She only got a grunt of annoyance from the demon. Suddenly a flash of pink and purple darted straight for the monster, angled straight at his back. The light bolstered and pulsed and then faded to reveal an arrow moments before the monster began to deteriorate. Suddenly she was falling, the castle growing larger and larger the closer she got, until she felt something grab her hand. She looked up quickly, and relieved to see Kagome and Sango upon the nekomata Kiara's back. The two women tried pulling her up, but a demon slammed into the cat demons side and threw all the girls off.  
"Kagome!" Kasumi could hear the hanyou's cries as his humans were thrown off.  
Kasumi closed her eyes tightly, trying to will her fear away from her impending death. She could hear Inuyasha grab Kagome, and Kiara grab Sango.  
The demon foxes robes whipped around her wildly as she fell through the sky, and then suddenly it stopped and she felt a strange whooshing push through her. When she opened her eyes again, her estate and home was no where to be seen. She was hovering above in the sky, nothing but the expanse of trees beneath her. She looked up at her savior, only to see anther captor. A demon who appeared human, but she could see and smell the evil in his eyes.

* * *

Haori: Robe like Kimono

Yōkai: Demon

Taijiya: Slayer

Hakama: Type of kimono pants (the red pants Kikyou uses is a hakama, Kasumi is assuming Kagome's skirt is a hakama because of the similar style)

Miko: Priestess

Kosode: Type of clothing

Nekomata: Demon Cat

Mala Beads: Buddhist Prayer Beads

Hanyou: Half human, Half Demon


	5. Chapter 5: Prison of Fear

Chapter Five:

Prison of Fear

* * *

Darkness. Kasumi knew only of darkness. She spent so much time in it, she didn't even know anymore if her eyes were open or closed. She had lost all sensation, of touch, sight, sound, even her sense of time. She was blanketed in utter darkness, surrounded only by a quietness that could mean death. Surely she must be dead. She had to be. It was a logical conclusion, given the immeasurable pain she experienced in her stomach that recked through her entire being, forcing her body to move loosely and slackly. She felt as if a weight was placed into her blood, keeping her plastered to the hard surface she knew was beneath her. She had to be in hell. It was torture in itself by not knowing anything.  
The first few days she had cried and pleaded to be set free until her throat bled with her words. Eventually she lost her voice, and soon after, lost her will to speak. She was losing her will to do anything. Even the aching pains in her stomach and head began to become such a constant it no longer bothered her. After such a long time, Kasumi was curled up in the confined space she was held in. She sat with her knees to her chest, and her head tucked in, arms wrapped around her scrawny legs, face completely hidden from view. Not that it mattered, her prison was sightless anyway.  
At least that's what she thought until a beam of white blinding fury clouded her eyelids red. The burning white singed her eyes even though they were not open, and suddenly she was being yanked from her entrapment and thrown into the outside world. It took only moments for sensations to come to her. She could feel the beating heat of the sun on her back, the damp grass she had been tossed onto, and hear the sounds of the wildlife around her. She marveled at the feeling of morning dew, and laid down on the moist carpet of green, uncaring as it dampened her attire. The fresh humid air filled her lungs, and she realized all at once that she hadn't been able to take a deep breath in so long. She cried out in joy, unable to hold back the steaming tears from pouring out of her eyes. Thank the Kami above she was alive. Thank the kami* above that her previous thoughts of death had been false.  
Her reprise was interrupted brutally and abruptly. She was yanked from the ground by the ends of her hair, she could feel some of the oily strands pulled from her scalp. Her neck was left exposed to the sky, her head held back in an uncomfortable position.  
"Hahaha, looks to me like we got ourselves a rich one." She could hear the gruff and ugly scratching sound of a man, right next to her ears. She was still regaining her senses, and was just now realizing she was surrounded by an abundance of vile human men.  
She struggled in his grasp, her fingers wrapped around his wrists, trying to pry his hand from her locks, and only succeeded in getting them yanked further. "Release me at once! I am not a rag doll and I shall not be treated as such!" She was shocked at the sound of her own voice, raspy and cracked, gruff and uneven. If she didn't know any better, she would have assumed it was a hag speaking.  
"Quiet, wench!" The gruff man yelled at her, purposefully pulling her hair even harder to get her to cry in pain. "Take the clothes from her. We can sell them for a pretty penny."  
"Don't you dare lay your fingers upon my silk! They aren't meant for such filthy heathens." Kasumi huffed, trying to fight again, but her body was so weak from hunger her attempts were useless.  
She could feel hands on her pulling at her robes and she stopped fighting long enough to draw the silken material closer to her body. "You mustn't! I cannot be seen in anything less outside my home!" She pleaded. The men around her quieted, and shuffled their feet.  
"Just who exactly are you?" The man that held her questioned.  
"Princess Kasumi Ishikawa. My father is Lord Ishikawa from the eastern lands. He'd send thousands of his men at you if he discovered what you are attempting to do to me now. More and worse if you chose to kill me." Kasumi said, gripping her clothes tighter.  
The group of men chuckled, and she was released, roughly shoved into the ground and back to the damp grass. "Then we'll leave you here to rot." The man said. The grass rustled softly as their feet crushed against the small blades. "With how skinny you are, you will die before the night is over. Though if you were to join us, and not tattle tell like a brat, we'd be willing to share food with you. And water."  
"Chief, what are you doing?" She could hear a harsh whisper, and tensed a bit.  
"Quiet. We need a woman to cook our foods and wash the blood from our clothes. She'll have a use. When her body is strong enough, well have another use for her."  
Her body was riddled with disgust at the suggestion, but craved the idea of food. Kami, how long had she been gone?  
Slowly, she finally opened her eyes, adjusting to the morning sun as cautiously and as carefully as she could manage, keeping her gaze down cast. When she believed she had adjusted enough, she looked up, just as slowly. She saw four pairs of feet, clad in sandals or boots, one was even bare. Her gaze traveled up scrawny and muscular, hair cladded legs to the edges of tattered robes and beaten up armor, to the waistband that held up swords and weapons of each kind, to the oddly shaped armored chest, to the faces of her saviors. Bandits. They were all harsh to the eyes, scarred and grotesque, large brows, top knots and the like. There were four men and each just as worse looking as the next. Her gaze turned to the biggest man, brawny and gruff looking, with a dirty blue band tied around his head. She assumed he was the leader, he had to be. He was intimidating to look at.  
She turned her head away, but could see from the corner of her eyes the men watching her closely. Kasumi took the time to look around her, in an attempt to gauge her surroundings. Behind her was the body of a large demon, in its true form most likely. The monster had an arrow in his back, the arrow still held remnants of a spiritual energy that she recognized as Kagome's. _So the miko had fired an arrow into the monsters back just as it had slipped away._ The smell of death was heavy in the air, telling her that she had been captured for quite a number of weeks. But how? And in what? She looked around further, and her gaze fell upon a shattered gourd. She could smell the bandits all over it, her own scent mingled in. She had been trapped inside that. She tried to pick herself up from the ground and felt the heaviness of hunger dominated her body once more, and she fell flat onto her belly. She couldn't even lift her hands up, her fingers shook with the effort to hold them straight. Her fear and the adrenaline that had come with it were gone from her body, and she once again could feel how sick she was feeling. The men were right. She would die by nightfall. She held back the tears that threatened to blur her vision, and choked out a strangled sob  
"I-I will go with you," She managed quietly, though it didn't stop the sound of her sorrow from filling the morning air.  
She didn't know how long she laid there. It could have been seconds, minutes even, and if weren't for the position of the sun, she would have assumed even hours. The reality was, Kasumi was only there for a few minutes before the chief threw her onto his shoulder, and began to carry her off. She cried further. She was pathetic in her weakness, clinging more onto the idea of life than her dignity. She would serve these men until she could free herself. And then she would return home, wherever that was, and find her father. See if he still lived, see how much of the estate remained. She would force herself to survive by any means necessary.

* * *

*  
Kami: God


	6. Chapter 6: Prison of Survial

Chapter Six:

Prison of Survival

* * *

Kasumi felt like cattle amongst these men. For a few weeks now she traveled with them, stayed behind when they raided a village, cared for these heinous men as if she were their mother. Granted they hunted occasionally, mostly they stole food from the villages they raided. Usually though they'd harbor themselves in the village for days at a time until they went through every woman, killed every man, and ate all the food, leaving the women and children to die.  
This left Kasumi by herself, chained to some tree most times or with a guard watching her. It left her mostly without food or water, or even the ability to move closer to the fire or farther away. Truly she was a prisoner no matter where she was or whom she was with. When the group of men, who was actually quite a large amount equal to at least twenty or thirty men, would travel, she was treated as a slave. She was constantly bound in ropes, and was tied to the saddle of the chiefs horse, trailing behind him like a lost calf.  
She hadn't gained much weight in the weeks, which she was grateful for. She was thin as a rail, her cheeks sunken in, eyes hollow, her fingers thin and bony. Her robes hung so loosely up on her narrow shoulders that she constantly had to pull them up, and her obi sash would tie around her twice as much as it would before. She was a sickly, pale looking child, and the men saw her only as a maid or servant. A slave. A hapless animal. Perhaps she was hapless, unfortunate since her birth. So long as they saw her as frail, and easily broken, none of them would lay a finger on her. No one... except the bastard chief who constantly sought out her attention and to monopolize all of her. The men had taken to calling her his whore, unknowing what went on when he demanded her presence within his tents. Most nights he demanded her attention, when she continued to refuse him, he yelled at her and sent her away. Oh how she wished she could fight them. Free herself quickly, but she found that her body had fallen so ill that even her demon blood hadn't been able to resurface. Which was helpful and frightening at the same time. She hadn't been able to hold up a barrier for some time now, it took away too much of her energy, energy she didn't have stored in her as she was offered very little to eat and drink.  
One evening, the lady was awake, on the very edge of the large campsite, by the river bed. She could feel the ever watchful eye of her warden upon her back, but she had grown so used to feeling it, it no longer bothered her.  
She had a basket full of blood stained clothes, and was currently washing them in the river that divided forest from mountain. She wagered they were half way between the north and east, the moons phase stating that she had been gone from her home for nearly two months now. The phases of the moon passing and fading and passing once more. Nearly sixty days of starvation and near starvation. The only thing that kept her going was the thought that she would soon see her father and her home, so long as they kept heading east.  
She sighed deeply, drawing her attention to the cool water that enveloped her hands, and the stained cloth between her fingers. She tried as best as she could manage, and when she was satisfied with her work, she dried the men's clothes on the rocks lying around the river bed. She stood up, walking to where fire turned the surrounding forest a brilliant orange and red. Merriment and chatter filled the air, men gather around the fire, eating fried fish that had been caught, boar meat from the afternoon kill. They sloppily chewed, prying meat away from flesh and bones like wild animals.  
Kasumi hid her disgust with her ladies mask, and settled in her corner, drawing her knees under her, and sitting properly and straightly.  
Her guard went to bind her hands, but a gruff voice she was beginning to detest spoke up.  
"Hold on there," the chief stood from his spot at the head of the fire, and walked towards her. "Woman, stand." He ordered.  
"I believe I have told you previously, Kaneshi. I am not woman, nor girl, nor wench or whore. You will call me by name or not at all." She said, a bit arrogantly.  
"I don't care for your name, stand up I said." His voice grew harsher, and at one look at him, she knew he was drunk. He swayed slightly as he blocked the light from hitting her with his wide frame, in turn hiding her view of the others. The camp had fallen silent, all thirty men listening to their conversation with intense interest. "Have you forgotten the debt you owe me? For saving your life not once but twice?"  
"I didnt ask you to save me the first time." She said tensely.  
"No, but you did the second time. So desperate to live, and here I am, your savior, yet you still do not obey." He crossed his arms.  
"I wouldn't have asked you to save me the second time, if you hadn't decided to raid that demons body and items to begin with." She stared up at him with a blank expression but with cold, hate filled eyes.  
"You would rather be dead then?" He shrugged. "So be it, one less mouth to feed." He took the ropes from the guards hand and took her wrists in his own.  
He took one brief look at her wrists, bruised, red and raw from rope burns, being yanked forward from the back of a horse. "Humph, if you would just give in, woman, you wouldn't have such awful scars on that porcelain skin of yours."  
"I wouldn't have these scars if you did not drag me behind a horse by leash, as if I were stray livestock!" She yanked her hand from his, and held them both to her chest.  
"Because you haven't learned yet that we don't really need you, we can get any old woman to do what you do. You are a liability yet we chose to keep you alive. Still you resist us, after we've shown you so much generosity." He grabbed her hand and yanked it forward, tying it up, then the other, and then binding her to the tree like a dog. "Enjoy your rest, princess." He grinned, showing every bit of grimy decaying teeth in the gaping smile. He stood back, and went back to the merriment of the night, telling everyone to continue or he'd kill them.  
Silently Kasumi cried, trying desperately to burn her ropes to free herself, transform into something, anything, and yet she couldn't muster up a single ounce of her demon strength and courage. She was a scared little girl, who wanted her papa, and didn't want to die.  
The next morning, Kasumi was half dragged half carried to the horses, tied to the back of Kaneshi's saddle. They had rudely awakened her, and she had such a difficult time waking up that when he began to move the steed forward, she landed face first into the ground, and dragged across the ragged dirt.  
Kaneshi released an annoyed gruff before he removed himself from the saddle and walked to her. "Stand up woman or you will be dragged." He idly threatened. She outwardly scoffed.  
"If you wish to drag me, do so. I cannot possibly move in such a sorry condition anyway. Save me the trouble of moving myself and drag me across Japan if you must." She sat up just enough to look at him, half cocked. She didn't recognize the look in his eyes, but suddenly she was being dragged up, and over his shoulder. He unhooked her leash from the back of the saddle, and threw her over the horses shoulders and neck before he got on himself. He took the reigns in hand and the journey began a new.  
"Do not throw me as if I am a sack! I am a woman! You should learn to treat me as such!" She looked up at him, but saw only amusement in the ugly mans face.  
"If you truly wished to be dragged, hop off the horse and drag yourself. I will not tire out my steed by your inept ability to walk." He stated.  
She kind of growled at him, and sat up further, just as the horse jumped over some fallen tree. She screamed in her surprise, and instantly latched onto the horses neck.  
"If you don't want to fall, you should make yourself comfortable at the front of the reins." He stated.  
"I'd rather be trampled beneath his hooves." She hissed at him, though she had a new bound fear in her. She had never ridden a horse before. When father left the estate for business he went without her. Suitors and visitors came to them, they never went to others. Of course she had seen horses, slightly tended to them when she felt brave, but they were large creatures, and she was unfamiliar with them in all manners. She looked around her, how the sky seemed slightly closer to her yet still was so far from reach, the ground moving beneath them as the horse cantered over the dirt road. She could see the eyes of some of the men on her, laughing at her childish fear of the horses back, and she felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment.  
Not wanting to look like a further fool, she took Kaneshi's offer with regret, sliding into the front of the saddle as he caged his arms at her sides. She hated the closeness, but the steady rhythm of the horse made her fear die slowly.  
They rode like that for several minutes in utter silence. She could hear the snickering and snide comments from the men, but neither she nor Kaneshi stopped them. She didn't see it her place, and Kaneshi didn't seem to care. He had long since claimed her as his property, constantly insisting she was indebted to him and he wouldn't let her go until the debt was repaid. That idea terrified her, but she was quickly being able to come up with plans to escape.  
His horse favored her. Oh he wasn't aware of it, but the horse often sought her out when she was washing clothes or bowls. She gave him treats when she could find them, and brushed his mane when the others were asleep. He likely wouldn't care if she stole him in the night and ran off with him. He was an old stallion, but he still had a young spirit. A young spirit that was easily won over by food and brushing.  
The group traveled for hours down the same long road, not running into a single village in the country for several miles now. They were surrounded by open fields of grass and tall dark green trees. The expanding pale blue sky looked ever brighter as the morning faded to afternoon, and the heat of the sun grew stronger. They stopped once near a river to water their horses and feed themselves, but before the hour was up they were traveling once again, with Kasumi placed firmly in front of Kaneshi, as if she was a prize and he intended to flaunt what he believed to have been won.  
When the sun was still high above them, a young scout came running up to them. Kaneshi had sent him ahead long before they left to keep his eye open for any soldiers or potential raid spots. He was on his horse, and was in a full blown gallop when he slowed at the sight of his chief.  
"Chief! Soldiers up ahead! They saw me and they are heading this way, quickly." He said, breathing hard as if he was out of breath.  
"Which soldiers?" Kaneshi asked, and she could feel the deep rumble of his chest against her back as he spoke.  
"Easterners. Lower class soldiers but they come from one of the neighboring eastern lands surrounding the main house."  
One name came to mind for Kasumi, and it annoyed her more than the idea of staying with these bandits. Takami. It had to be Takami.  
"How many men?" Kaneshi asked.  
"Several dozen more than us sir." He responded.  
Kaneshi scoffed. "Probably looking for their precious princess. Isn't that right, pet?" He looked down at her and she rolled her eyes.  
"Highly unlikely. Despite all of us sharing the eastern plains, many lords fight to gain control over them. With their princess gone, it makes the fight excusable." She couldn't help but roll her eyes a second time.  
"Then we'll take to the forest and hide out until they are gone." Kaneshi concluded.  
Kasumi snorted. "That won't work. If this is who I am assuming it to be, there won't be a place for you to hide. If his men didn't see your scout running away, then the dogs will surely smell you out in your hiding spots. There's no use in hiding, he has well trained hounds. He may be a fool of a young lord, but make no mistake, he is an expert in war." She knew more about Takami than she liked to admit but it was coming in handy at the moment. Of all people to rescue her, she certainty didn't want it to be Takami . Maybe she was being picky. Maybe just cautious. She didn't want that disgusting man anywhere near her.  
"Then what do you suggest we do princess?" Kaneshi asked dryly, staring at the girl seated on his lap with a brow perked.  
"Honestly? Don't provoke him. He has a short temper. And he is quite the possessive man as well, worse than even you are, Kaneshi." She looked up at him before back down. "So long as you don't cause issues with him, he will probably ignore you. If you stay away from any up coming villages on our way, he'll continue to ignore you. Though there is that off chance he will be looking for a fight regardless of what you do. Defend yourselves and then flee, or don't." She shrugged her small shoulders. "It matters not to me, the way I see it, as much as he may detest me, the young lord Takami will want to take me away. And you certainty haven't expressed interest in killing me yourself, so my life isn't on the line here. Yours and your men are. You decide to treat me worse for my indifference, fine. It can't beat being starved and blinded for three weeks in that gourd. I can handle much more than you think I can."  
"So you've continued to astound me with your vigor, woman." He said dryly, contemplating what to do. She seemed to know what she was talking about, and figured it was best to follow her advice. For now.  
"Get me one of the larger robes, we can't have this young princely type seeing we have the princess." He barked out an order, and before Kasumi could even blink, she had a stinky, old robe thrown over her head, keeping her completely blocked from sight. It was a form of protection in its own right, he didn't want his prize taken away, and she didn't want Takami to touch her. It was convenient this time around, but she would leave tonight if she could.  
She kept her head lowered, and her hands together while Kaneshi lead his horse forward to a slow and steady canter once again. The men followed their leader silently, and they trailed the path the scout had taken a few moments prior. It wasn't long before the group stumbled across a group of soldiers, about 100 or so of them in count, with Lord Takami leading them, heading right for Kaneshi's bandits with the eyes of a war hungry wolf.

* * *

 **Author Notes:**

Hey everyone! So I'm uploading these chapters as quickly as I possibly can, however motivation is my enemy and it likes to get me in the ass.  
I did however notice a review today (Which I wont lie, motivated me enough to post this chapter today which I didn't plan on doing right away), and I wanted to answer a question I'm sure some of you have, as I know its not clear in this story what exactly is going on with Kasumi's father.  
Lord Ishikawa is in the early stages of Dementia. In case some of you don't know, one of the symptoms are mood swings, and huge bouts of anger. The highs are extreme and the lows are even worse. Ishikawa attacking his daughter when he did was the first sign of his condition, and the only reason why it's not explicitly said is because Dementia was first given its name in 1906, so the name technically doesn't exist given the time frame of the feudal era. I try to be as accurate as possible in these types of things, and planned on addressing the issue later in the story (when and if Kasumi ever meets our favorite group again).  
The berries her father consumes in his tea is some magical crap i pulled outta my ass that helps relieve the symptoms so long as its taken regularly. I'm writing these chapters the way I am so everyone gets the full view of Kasumi's life so far, but I try to point out how much time has passed everytime i do a time skip without labeling it as a time skip (I hate doing that tbh).

As for the Sesshōmaru issue... I HAD NO IDEA HOW TO LABEL THE PAIRING I HAD TO LOOK IT UP.  
But I fixed it so it should be up now, and worry not, We will see our faavorite silver haired Dog demon very soon, so look forward to it!


	7. Chapter 7: Freedom?

Chapter Seven:

Freedom?

* * *

Takami and Kaneshi stared off at each other, an intense silence falling over them, and the men that followed them. The tension in the air was so thick, Kasumi could scarcely breathe, though some of that had to have been for the presence of her former suitor. It was strange to think a man like him terrified her more than the bandits who treated her like she was dirt. Despite that, however, they still in some small way respected her virtue. Even Kaneshi, with his persistence to take it from her, understood that when she firmly told him no, it meant no. She was sure that other women from villages they plundered told him no numerous times and he ignored it, yet still she didn't understand why he respected her choice. Takami... Takami could be the leader of a rebel army, and be feared by many, women children and men alike, for he did not take no as an answer from anyone. His molestation of her was proof enough of that. She breathed in slowly, and as quietly as she could manage, keeping her gaze down casted, while the men glared death at one another.  
"Bandits, what are you doing on this side of the country?" Takami was the first to break the silence that had befallen them.  
"Traveling up north," Kaneshi said, heeding the princess's warning to not provoke the young lord. "To marry my girl." He touched the top of her head, and she had to force herself not to cringe at his touch.  
"You're from the north then?" Takami questioned. "Don't you know northerns aren't allowed to cross these roads?"  
"We don't come from any noble family, and we all have been away for many moons. She has been traveling with us for a month now, and she grows tired of not being married to me. Isn't that right, dear?" Kaneshi questioned, and if she didn't want Takami to see her face, she probably would have slapped or punched the chief for the suggestion.  
"I can't wait another moment." She said, lowering her voice an octave. "You've already made me wait so long."  
"You see? Quite an impatient lass." He patted her head again.  
"I see. I'll let it pass for now, but in the future, remember these roads aren't meant for those not of our lands." Takami said. His eyes were narrowed, and Kasumi could feel his piercing gaze on her person. Was she not convincing enough? Did he recognize her voice? Could he sense who she truly was?  
Her heart thundered in her chest like the rumbling of a giant's feet against the earth. She could hear it behind her ears, feeling it turn her blood cold with apprehension. Her fingers trembled slightly in her lap, and as hard as she tried she could not cease the movements. He could see her hands; she just knew it.  
Slowly, and as carefully as she could manage, she slipped her hands beneath the sleeve of her kimonos.  
That had been a horrible choice on her part. Beneath the reddish brown of the bandit's robes, shined the pale blue sleeve of her strange savior's robes. The surprisingly vibrant shade was too obvious to miss, and with Takami's gaze so zeroed in on her, she doubted he missed that.  
"We're currently looking for our princess. We're patrolling the roads to see if she will show up. Do you mind if we look at your woman's face?" Takami inquired, and Kasumi pressed her back into Kaneshi's chest, as if doing so would put her further away from the exuberant young lord.  
"Of course I mind! You don't look at the face of a bride to be, even I am not allowed to gaze at her face until we are wedded!" Kaneshi half growled at Takami.  
"For the sake of my lands, I need to see her face. Just a quick glance." Takami insisted.  
Kaneshi drew his sword out, pointing it at the young lord. A fight would brew between them soon if she didn't stop them. She practically rolled her eyes at the action. Men, and their war driven personalities and aggressive natures. She hasn't met a single man so far that didn't want to fight, or flirt. As far as she was concerned, they were simple creatures.  
She eventually sighed heavily, sliding the robe from her head to look at Takami herself, her expression, though typically unreadable, held an edge of distaste. "Your lands? Honestly? You and I both know they are more of my lands than yours. Your older brother owns more of it than even you, young lord." Kasumi crossed her arms, trying to ignore the pleased look on Takami's face.  
"Princess Kasumi, consorting with bandits are we? I knew you were a witch, but a whore? You never truly were a princess were you? Killed off your father and destroyed the estate so you could have your bandits in peace." Takami said, the disgust and venom in his voice making her cringe.  
"I would do no such thing. I love my home and my father and I would not harm either. Stop your lies." She refused to believe her father dead, refused to believe such news was real, given who it was that was telling her the news. He was full of it, and she wasn't going to make a fool of herself in believing him.  
"Oh, I don't lie. Your father is quite dead, and many seek out the thought to be dead princess, to wed her and win the lands." Takami said, leaning slightly on his horses back, giving off an air of confidence and arrogance.  
Kasumi's heart shuddered, and fell flat into the pit of her stomach. Her father couldn't be dead. Her last image of him had been too horrid, it couldn't have been his end. She didn't want that to be her last sight of him.  
"Hold your tongue! He is not dead! I won't listen to a word from your mouth." She said, allowing her temper to flare for a minute, feeling a swell of her demonic energy in her before it faded away again. It surprised her. She could barely remember the last time she felt her demonic energy. How maybe weeks had passed since then? When was the last time she could feel her fox like energy jumping around beneath her skin?  
"If you don't believe me, why don't I take you home myself so you can see it with your own eyes." Takami offered, holding his hand out to her, as if he thought she would take it. She glared at his extended fingers, feeling the same swell all over again.  
"I'd rather stay with the bandits then get anywhere near you." She hissed, keeping her body completely protected from his gaze by keeping her arms crossed. She could feel Kaneshi tensing behind her, and the grip he had on his katana tightened.  
"Then it looks as if I'll take you by force." Takami said. Before she or Kaneshi could react, he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her over the horse's head, and onto his own steed. Kaneshi grabbed at her, attempting to steal back his prize, but he was quickly surrounded by Takami's men. The bandits behind him drew their own weapons out, every single one of them ready to defend their chief.  
"Give that back! She's mine!" Kaneshi growled, slashing down with his sword. There was a clang of metal as Takami's own blade stopped the incoming katana.  
"She isn't yours, she's mine. She is my fiancée and I don't like her being in the presence of such grotesque looking men." Takami said. He was holding her pressed against his chest on the front of his saddle, leaving her awkwardly placed between somewhere on his legs, horse and saddle. She struggled in his grasp and shoved him away, despite her sitting position, again feeling a swell of her demonic energy. She tried reaching for it, feeling a sliver of it beginning to surface.  
"I am not your fiancée! The very thought of you makes me sick! Now release me at once! How dare you put your disgusting hands on me!" She shoved him again, surprising the young lord by her vigor and strength. The swell of energy just kept festering and boiling within her, fueling her rage and strength. "Haven't you learned your lesson, you heathen!" She shoved again, and could hear the clank of metal against the ground as he dropped his sword to keep himself on his horse, grabbing the reins and releasing her. "Not only have I sent you away, but so has my father! And the demon who rescued me when you attempted to spoil my maidenhood with your impurity! Learn your lesson! At least these bandits understand what no means! They have more manners than a foolish lord like you!" With a final shove, he swooped right off the back of his horse, landing on the ground shoulders first. He stared up at the sun baked sky, before the sight of his horse came into view. Kasumi was straddled over the saddle like a well ridden man, holding the reins like an experienced pro, glaring down at him with glimmering, gem green eyes, eyes he had never seen before on this woman. "I will no longer sit quietly by while you touch me. I will no longer remain a prisoner to this world, and if either of you idiots follow me, don't think my wrath can't quickly be channeled into violence. I may be a woman, but I am not weak." She glared at Takami and then to Kaneshiro, motioning her chin to the unhorsed lord. "Just ask Takami there how he got those burn scars all over his body. I'm sure he'd love to tell the tale of how the princess of the eastern lands set him on fire." She flicked the reins with her wrists, and the horse cantered off, before going down the road in a full gallop, the princess quickly fading into the distance, leaving all the men in the surrounding area stunned into silence. Never before had they seen a princess, no, a woman, behave like a warrior.

* * *

Kasumi lost track of the time as Takami's horse carried her off. She was aware of the sun setting due west, bringing forth the curtain of night that blanketed the humid air with a cool softness of the moons glow. She could feel the muscles of the horse as it rode on between her knees, it's heavy breathing as it galloped through the country side.  
She should stop it, let it rest, but the horse seemed to inherently know where she wanted to go, and she dared not stop it. The muscular colt seemed to scream power, and she was comforted in it, in some odd way.  
Before she could blink, she could scarcely see the stone walls that surrounded her estate, at the very top of a hill. With it in her sights, she felt a sense of relief. She couldn't see it very well, but everything seemed normal from where she was.  
She slowed the horse down to a trot, and then carefully swung herself off the saddle when he stopped.  
She of course fell. She had never actually gotten off a horse by herself. Kaneshi had taken every chance he could to put his hands on her. Lifting her off the saddle, putting her back onto it... granted it made her seem more graceful since trying to do either wearing 3 silk kimonos was a chore. She never realized how hard it would be for her to do it, and once again realized just how large a horse was and how far down of a fall it was once she landed on her rump.  
"Really, am I so ungraceful I can't even get off a horse on my own?" She huffed, picking herself up and dusting her backside off. "Come on..." she said, taking the horse by his reins and leading him into the tree lines, hoping to give the steed a well needed rest.


	8. Chapter 8: Prisoner of Ruin

Chapter Eight:

Prisoner of Ruin

* * *

Kasumi sucked in a breath at the sight before her. It had been a couple of months since she was gone, but nothing of her lovely home remained. The once intimidating structure was nothing more than crumbling ruins, walls singed black from fire, freshly covered graves littered the front grounds, the walls that were supposed to protect them from invasions were broken, crumbling on nearly all sides.  
She swallowed hard, her grip on the horse's reins tightening in her hand. Slowly, she walked past the lines of graves to the steps that lead to the inside of the manor. She tied the horse off on a broken post and wandered over the threshold. The smell of smoke and death still lingered in the air, even after so long. She walked through the broken hall, climbing over sunken in floors and fallen roof beams. She walked through what used to be the family wing of the house, past Kyah's old room. She tried opening it, but the sliding door wouldn't budge. Even when she tried to pull off the paper and climb through she discovered it was almost entirely blocked by a collapsed wooden beam.  
When she passed by her mother's room, the very room she had died in, she paused. She sensed something beyond the doors, and carefully opened it, and peered inside. The room was virtually unscathed, even the futon her mother had passed on was still laid out in the center of the tatami mats. She could sense an intense spiritual energy from it, and made small steps towards it. When she was at the futons edge, she knelt down, staring at the covered cushion. She sat for only a few minutes before she eventually saw her mother. She was ethereal, and didn't seem to notice Kasumi at first. She was holding someone in her arms; a young man she didn't recognize. The man was sobbing quietly, and Yuriko was comforting him, soothing him by rubbing his back and hair.  
"Oh, Kazuhiro..." Yuriko whispered softly to the sobbing young man, and Kasumi's eyes went wide at the name. Kazuhiro Ishikawa. Her lord and father, in ethereal form being held by her mother's spirit. "I'm not angry at you, my husband." Yuriko continued on, soothing the crying man. "You raised our daughter into such a beautiful woman." Her eyes moved up to Kasumi, and smiled softly. "She is our daughter, even if she is not biologically yours. You did so well, my dear. I'm not angry. I am happy to see the woman she has become. I am happy you let her live after my sinful ways." She kissed his forehead and Ishikawa held his wife tightly.  
"Yuriko, I'm so sorry my love. I'm so sorry..." he said, repeating the words as if they were a mantra.  
"I know my dear. I forgive you. I love you. I do. I promise you, I love you." She said softly into his hair. They held each other for a few moments longer until they both slowly began to dissipate. Eventually, Kasumi was staring at the blank floor, the futon as much of a phantasm as the two spirits had been.  
So it was true. This was proof that what Takami said was true.  
Before she could even blink, tears began to stream down her cheeks, a choked, almost mangled sounding sob springing past her lips. She quickly clamped a hand over her mouth to stop anymore from coming out. She sat hunched over, quietly sobbing into her hand as her tears fell from her cheeks, and onto the floor. Everything she had known, everything she loved, gone.  
She sat like that for hours, well into the morning light that basked the room in warm colors. She was stunned into utter silence. At first, she could scarcely comprehend the predicament she found herself in, homeless, fatherless, without knowledge of how to function as a normal, functioning member of society. Her mind drifted to thoughts of the young Lord Takami, thinking of that marriage she dreaded, wondering what it would hold for her now if she were to accept. Would she really marry him just for her own self-preservation? She had done so when she followed the bandits and allowed them to treat her like a slave. Was Takami really any different?  
She shook her head at that thought, reminding herself that at least Kaneshi, despite his foul appearance and behavior, still respected her virtue enough to keep his hands off her. Obviously Takami didn't believe in virtue.  
When morning waned into early afternoon, Kasumi pulled herself off the floor, ignoring the ache's and pain in her legs from sitting for too long, as well as the soreness that came from riding a horse for too many hours. She half walked, half wobbled her way out of her mother's room, looking side to side before eventually convincing herself to leave the ruined manor.  
She barely made it outside before she was suddenly grabbed around the waist and hauled up. She screamed, loudly, and a rough hand clamped over her mouth, ceasing any sound coming from her. She struggled and fought, kicking her legs and flailing her arms, attempting to pry the hairy arm from around her waist with a vain effort. Even when she tried to muster up some of her demon strength she was useless.  
"Quiet down, brat." A harsh growl of a voice snarled in her ear.  
She looked up to see the face of a rough, dirty looking demon, with sharp fangs, pointed ears, and piercing slanted grey eyes. She couldn't tell if he was fox or wolf, couldn't see much of him from his hold on her, and she glared at him. She opened her mouth as wide as she could manage, and bit into his palm. He growled at her, and thrashed her around a bit till her movements stilled.  
Satisfied by her state of dizziness, the canine carried her off. He took her a good several miles away from the estate before she regained her composure, and she reached up, and as hard as she could, socked him in his cheek bone. Pain shot through her fingers and knuckles, her hand aching immediately after the contact, but it served her purpose. She had punched him hard enough he stopped, trying to recollect himself. She took that chance and elbowed him in the sternum.  
He dropped her to grab his chest, reeling from the pain, and then growled lowly as she scrambled to get away from him. The girl he had captured before was no more, instead replaced by the demoness his master was seeking out. All of Kasumi's illusions fell through, revealing her true nature. White blonde hair and ears, black ends, sharp claws and teeth, and slanted emerald eyes.  
"Do not lay your hands on me, you, filthy demon." She growled at him.  
The man snickered at her reaction, amused at the thought of trying to pin down his master's daughter. He jumped at her, claws ready to snag and rip, but she moved quickly out of the way, and slammed her foot into his rib cage, possibly breaking or at the very least bruising something in him. Angered, he jumped up and tackled her, slamming her back into the ground, and then picking her up and throwing her a good few feet till her back smacked into a nearby boulder with a loud crack.  
Rapid, searing pain incased her back, the air from her lungs sucked out of her in a single sharp second, and she gasped to collect more. She hunched over onto her hands and knees, desperately attempting to catch her breath, even as the pain swept through her each time. What was she thinking, fighting a demon? She couldn't win something like this.  
 _No_ , she told herself. She refused to allow herself to be taken as a prisoner again, even if it meant she died protecting herself, she wouldn't let herself be held against her will. She slowly stood up, clutching her side with her clawed fingers, and looked up at her current enemy.  
Amusement was written all over his face. The girl may look like his master, but she was a Halfling, and wouldn't serve any purpose to the kitsune household. He admired her tenacity to continue to fight him, but he would kill her, and then tell his lord he found her dead. Whatever state he brought the body back in, would depend on the girl and her ability to fend him off. He ran towards her, drawing out the short sword at his side and lunged, reaching to stab the pathetic creature before him in the heart. He was all ready to feel the blade sinking into flesh and plunging into the depth of her vital organ, was ready for the stench of her mixed blood and her pain filled cry.  
So it came to a shock to him that her frail boney looking fingers were capable of stopping him from that satisfaction.  
Kasumi had her hand wrapped around his wrist that held his sword, the digits a blindingly blue and alight with fox magic, claws sinking in to his own flesh. The blue flames wrapped around his skin, singeing the flesh and quickly traveling up his arm. At first, the pain didn't register, but it didn't take long till he could feel his skin melting at her touch. He tried yanking himself free, but she fought hard to keep a hold on him. When he realized his own fight would be useless, he tried lunging at her, using as much brute strength as he could to push the girl back into a tree, the tip of his sword inching towards her chest. He felt the sharp edge slip past the first layers of her skin, heard her hiss of pain, and he pushed further until that hiss became a cry. Yet still, she would not let go.  
He had the full pointed tip fully in her chest now, half the blade covered by cloth when he was suddenly kicked from the side, his hold on the sword slipping as he flew several feet, shoulder skidding against the grass, lung collapsing on itself, just from the full force of the attack.  
Kasumi's grip was yanked free, blood coating her fingertips, and she sank to her knees. She stared crosseyed at the hilt of the wakizashi*, eyes blurring, red seeping into her vision. She saw a blurred white hakama and black boots in her vision, and growled to herself. With shaking fingers, she grasped the hilt with both hands, and dislodged the blade from her chest. She cried out, unable to help it as blood began to freely stain her clothes. She looked up slowly, gasping for air, eyes slowly trailing up white and red and black cloth and armor, till they settled on the cold golden gaze of her interferer. Something about the man seemed otherworldly, as he was far too beautiful to possibly be alive. He had long silver locks falling down his back, two purple stripes across his cheek bones, a moon on the center of his forehead, and his skin was as pale as snow, and fur draped over one shoulder. He bore demons armor over a white and red kimono, and had two swords at his hip. He wasn't looking at her, instead he was faced against the man he just sent flying, anger and annoyance radiating off of him, but she couldn't fathom why. He wrapped his hand around the hilt of his sword, and she understood in one flash of a second what he was going to do.  
She jumped up fast enough her head spun with pain, and grabbed his sword arm to stop him. "Don't you dare kill him." She half growled. "Don't interfere." An unreadable expression crossed his features, as he looked down at her again, gaze cold. Wordlessly, he stared at her, and Kasumi didn't register that she should probably be afraid of this man. Slowly, he slid the sword back into its holster, eyes never leaving her face, as if expecting her to say or do something. A few quiet minutes passed until the silver haired demon turned and walked away, promptly taking his arm from her grasp, and the demon kidnapper groaned his awareness. Kasumi continued to watch the silver haired man, before she finally turned her gaze to the crumpled mess of her current attempted kidnapper.

* * *

Author Note:

Wakizashi: Essentially a short katana


	9. Chapter 9: The Inu Lord

Chapter Nine:

The Inu Lord

* * *

"Be quiet, Rin!" Jaken yelled at Sesshomaru's ward. "Lord Sesshomaru needs some quiet! How can he possibly contemplate his defeat by that lowly hanyou Inuyasha if you keep singing?!"  
Sesshomaru could feel his annoyance growing from the shrill shriek of his loyal and trusted follower. The more he whined and complained about Rin's singing -which Sesshomaru found to be quite soothing, though he'd never admit it- the more angrier the inu lord grew.  
It was only when Jaken began to retell the battle to Rin, that Sesshomaru's patience grew thin. Mid-sentence, the lord slammed his fist into the top of the toad's head, and then stepped on him, grinding the pathetic creature up with his boot.  
"F-forgive me, Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken managed out a strangled cry, and with one last boot shoved into the back of his head, Sesshomaru stepped on him and started to walk away.  
"I'm going on ahead," he said. "Stay with Rin."  
"This is why you shouldn't annoy Lord Sesshomaru, Master Jaken." Rin said, walking over to the injured imp and helping him up.  
Sesshomaru moved forward, not caring if he was followed or not, and delved deeper into the depths of the woods. That Inuyasha had certainly grown much stronger, yet he hadn't yet reached his full potential. Sesshomaru was able to injure him several times before Inuyasha actually put his full strength into the fight. It was the only reason why Sesshomaru had 'supposedly' lost.  
Reality was, Sesshomaru was testing his half-brother to make sure he was strong enough. It's what he's always done, despite the times they fought over the Tetsaiga. It was an older inu-brother's duty to make sure the younger brother could hold his ground in a fight, and the young lord was a stickler for duty and rules, even if he didn't particularly care for Inuyasha. What annoyed him most of all, was the fact that it took the miko throwing herself into danger that got Inuyasha to seriously fight him. Sesshomaru admired her spirit to stand up to him, but her presence was a disinterest to him. Inuyasha needed to learn to fight fully without worrying about the damn girl, she was clearly capable of handling herself. Naraku would never be defeated by the halfling at the rate he was going.  
Sesshomaru stopped walking when he felt a sudden burst of power. He turned his head to the source, and could scarcely make out the blue glow of fox magic. He could also feel that small presence was facing off against a much stronger target. Curious, he started towards the fight, and came across a peculiar scene.  
A strange fox girl was standing against one of her own kind, and the man was slashing at her with everything he had. Was the tiny woman- who was clearly half human- be such a pain he couldn't finish her off quickly? He stood by and watched, the girl setting him on fire, fighting back with such spirit it made Sesshomarus' beast hunger for a battle himself. He was not one to be ruled by his instincts however, and watched until the end, where he saw a sword half way through the kit-girls' chest. He could smell her blood, and assumed she was down, which meant Sesshomaru could let out his frustrations on the victor. He appeared next to the struggling demon and kicked him as hard as he could manage, feeling his foot sink into the demons' body, and sent him flying across the open field. His gaze was focused on the older kitsune, his clawed fingers wrapping around his hilt.  
He stopped when he suddenly felt tiny hands on his arm, and he looked down, feeling his gaze turn cold. The kit looked worse for wear, and much older than she smelled. Her kimono's were rumpled up, slipping down her skinny shoulders. She was bleeding from her chest wound, he could clearly see where sword met organ, just through the hole the blade created between her layers. His eyes traveled up towards her worn face, and he was instinctually drawn to her determined gaze. He found himself distracted by the gem colored orbs.  
"Don't you dare kill him." She growled. "Don't interfere." She didn't care if she was going to die or not, she planned on fighting until her last breath, and she wasn't there yet. He almost felt a smile tugging at his lips, just from her single determination. He slid his sword back into his sheath, and waited for her to release him. She slowly let go of him, and then turned towards the man he just kicked. He watched in mild fascination as the demoness allowed her instincts to rule her as the older kitsune was thrown through a loop. She had no weapon, and relied on claws and teeth, but Sesshomaru had already wounded her opponent well enough, he wouldn't be able to fight back with full strength. She collapsed finally when the battle was one, falling onto her knees and landing on the grass as she fell to the side.  
"Hm," Sesshomaru muttered, intrigued still by her. He slowly walked up to her body, noting how her breath was slight, and her blood stained her blue robe. On closer inspection, his eyes slightly widened, and he knelt down to turn the girl over onto her back. She made no sound, and was unable to object as he pushed open her other layers to better see the symbol on the robe.  
"Lord Tomosue..." he commented, and looked at the male demon, who bore the same house colors and symbol, and kicked his side till he rolled over. "Two members of the same house, fighting?" His gaze turned back over to the kit, her breathing getting softer, and quieter. He placed his hand on Tenseiga, and was surprised to see there weren't any imps attempting to pull her into hell. She was alive enough, but if he left her she'd likely die.  
"Hm.." he muttered. She clearly had ties to Tomosue, otherwise, she wouldn't be wearing his colors and emblem. She was a hanyou. Perhaps even Tomosue's hanyou. "A bastard* daughter, perhaps?" He questioned. Whatever she was, whoever she was, she had to either be important to Tomosue, or a disgrace. Given the fight he had just witnessed; it was hard to determine what was really going on.  
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken's voice broke through the clearing, but stopped when he saw the girl in his lord's arm. "And who might this be, my lord?"  
"I'm heading back to the manor." Sesshomaru said instead. "Keep an eye on Rin." He didn't even glance at the toad as he lifted the kit up into his arm, and flew off.

* * *

Author Note:

Bastard: In case some of you don't know, back in the day, bastard was used to describe a child that was born out of wedlock. He's not calling her a name, promise its just a term.


	10. Chapter 10: Prison of Darkness

Chapter Ten: Prison of Darkness

* * *

"Heal her," a deep, calming voice broke through the numbing silence in Kasumi's brain. She didn't recognize the sound of the voice, and it held no concern, no sense of emotion, and yet it put her aching chest at ease. Or perhaps that was medicine being applied to her chest wound.  
 _Chest wound?_ With a clouded mind, she barely registered the stabbing ache in her bosom and she hissed, clutching at the pain with her claws.  
"Stop that!" A frantic female voice entered next, and Kasumi's hand was taking away and held down to her sides. Once again it was another voice she didn't recognize.  
 _Where am I?_ She wished she could ask aloud, but it seemed her voice wouldn't work, or her mouth wouldn't open. She couldn't bring herself to speak, only gasp painfully.  
"She's awake?" The deep male voice spoke again, and Kasumi was calmed once more at the sound.  
"It seems, m'lord." The female said. "But she isn't aware. Here, dear." Kasumi felt a hand sliding under her head and lifting her slightly. "Drink this. It'll help you sleep." She said. Something was held to her lips, and thoughtlessly, Kasumi drank, deeply. The putrid stench of the drink didn't reach her nose until after she had taken several swallows of the thick concoction and she gagged, furthering the pain in her chest. "I know, it's awful, but it will help you…" The female reassured Kasumi. She didn't care what the woman said, the foul stench did nothing to hide the even worse flavor of the slimy medicine. She couldn't really complain, however, as a dull numbness seeped into her core, spreading out like a slowly burning flame until it blanketed her mind into a full, deep slumber.

* * *

Deep sorrow fell through Kasumi's heart in her sleep. She saw images in the darkness of her mind, of her father mostly. Sobs wreaked through her small frame, as she cried out aimlessly for her father, her mother. Anyone. She was alone in the world, left to face this never ending darkness that seemed to consume her.  
 _Darkness_.  
Once again, Kasumi knew only of the blanket of black. She groaned at this, maybe from the pain in her chest and heart, but she couldn't see anything, feel anything other than the mind numbing pain. How is it that twice in her life she had succumbed to darkness?  
 _Twice?_ Kasumi asked herself. When was the first time? And hadn't it been safe? She didn't die, did she?  
 _No, but I was close… so close. Am I close again…? Will I see him again soon?_ She wondered, feeling her sorrow grab her again as another sob flew from the confines of her lips and out into the open world. She could scarcely make out the sound of worried voices, taste the slimy drink she recalled from a dream, and then nothing, her body falling limp to the waking world, body too heavy to bother moving. Sleep tugged her mind down, and she succumbed to it, for in sleep, she held no sorrow, only the sweet memories of her father.

* * *

Days passed into weeks, weeks slowly passed by, and the tiny kit he brought up never woke. It grew to frustrate him, and his frustration turned to impatience, and his impatience he took out on the servants who tended to her.  
"Why isn't she waking?" He lowly growled to the court lady, a small fry of a demon with horns on her forehead and white hair.  
"I-I am not sure, m'lord…" The girl spoke softly, which irked him for no reason, other than the fact he hated how quietly she spoke. "Her wounds have healed, but it seems something is holding her back. It's as if she doesn't wish to wake up."  
"Then wake her," he demanded.  
She swallowed hard, not wanting to disobey her lord, but knowing the effort would be futile. Kasumi showed no signs of the living, except for her short breaths, and the occasional sobbing. "M'lord, as I understand your concern-"  
"Concern? I have no concern for the kit." He said sharply, causing the small woman to flinch at his venomous tone.  
"Yes, of course, m'lord. I merely wish to point out, she cries often for her father. Perhaps taking her to him will entice her to awaken?" She suggested, not meeting his gaze. She heard his scoff before she heard his reply.  
"Impossible. I can't send for him until she wakes. Otherwise, my debt will not be repaid in full, and I do not wish to owe that lord any more than I do already." His eyes narrowed on the sickly face of the kit he rescued.  
She was pale, as pale as any would be he supposed, if they were as weak as she was in body. Perhaps mind too, given the reason as to why she hadn't awoken yet. Her breathing was short, and hallow, showing it was difficult for her to some degree. At some point, she had been bathed by the court lady attending her, and the kit no longer smelled of blood, sweat and dirt. Faintly, he caught a hint of her natural odor, a sweet smelling peach and cherry blossoms. He scoffed at that too, annoyed that the girl smelled as sweet as she looked.  
 _She is not sweet looking._ He reminded himself. She was too skinny to be sweet looking, on the path of malnourishment, just from the view he got of her clothed form, he could make out the poking's and prodding of bones against the thin haori she bore.  
He turned sharply away from her once he realized he had been staring for too long and turned his back to the girl attendee. "Fix her, quickly. I don't have the patience to sit here and wait before the council meeting starts."  
"Yes m'lord…" At the girl's soft acceptance, he left the room he had given the kit, annoyed more now than he had been when entered.  
 _Cold._ Kasumi shuddered as something cold and wet touched her forehead, her body shaking with the effort and she tried to bundle herself up but couldn't get herself to move.  
"M'lady?" A sweet sounding woman's voice reached her ears, and Kasumi didn't miss the sense of hope in the girls voice. "Are you wake, m'lady?"  
Kasumi tried squeezing her eyes shut, light pouring in as if from nowhere, lighting up her mind more than she wished.  
"M'lady, please, you have to wake up, or M'lord would be very upset." There was worry now, and Kasumi, in her inborn ability to fret over others, peered open one eye. She hissed as sunlight bore down on her from an open window, blinding her for a moment and making it difficult for her to make out the face of the voice. "M'lady!" The woman cheered up quickly and Kasumi felt a groan rumble through her chest. Her chest.  
Quickly she sat up straight, surprising the woman and she clutched her chest, expecting pain, or blood or something. But she felt nothing. Didn't she get stabbed?  
"Where am I?" She questioned, turning to look at the girl and her eyes widen in shock. "D-demon!" She practically screeched. "Y-you're a... a demon!"  
"I… Yes, m'lady, I am." The woman said, confused by the demons reaction. "And you are in M'lord Sesshomaru's home, in the west."  
"T-the west?" She pushed her hand through her hair, swallowing hard. "The west… but I could have sworn I was in the east? Or was I wrong?" Her head hurt, trying to recall which lands her father residing over. "Father, tell me, where is this lord? I wish to speak to him, at once. I need to confirm something. Please bring him to me."  
"Well, m'lady, I will inform m'lord of your health, but I'm afraid he is out at the moment. You will have to wait until he returns from his travels." The woman said apologetically.  
"He's gone?" She questioned. "What kind of lord leaves his guest unattended to travel?" She rubbed her forehead, just wondering what kind of hell she woke up in.


	11. Chapter 11: Prison of Despair

Chapter Eleven: Prison of Despair

* * *

"Look, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin pointed upward towards the bright expanse of the afternoon sky, towards an object, far off in the distance that seemed to slowly be making it's way towards their little group.  
Sesshomaru looked up to where his human ward pointed, and squinted, making out the features of one of the messengers from his manor. "Hm, has the girl perished?" He wondered aloud. Rin watched him, her head titled to the side, curious as to what he meant. But as always, the child never pried more than she felt she could, and she quickly turned away and started running for the field of flowers not to far away. It had been a week since her lord had returned to continue their journey, and she was quite happy to once again be spending time with the inu daiyokai*. She was picking flowers when the messenger landed in front of Sesshomaru, stopping her momentarily to watch them interact. She had never met anyone from Sesshomaru's house before, apart from Jaken, so it was strange seeing the formality in which Sesshomaru addressed the messenger, even going so far as to thank the demon before he parted.  
"What seems to be amiss, my lord?" Jaken said, trying to get a peak on what was going through the inu's head.  
"Nothing that concern's you," Sesshomaru spoke dryly and walked towards the field, and found a place to sit, allowing his ward to do as she wished for a time before they parted again.  
They sat for hours, at least to him that's what it felt like, as he contemplated on what to do next. The news was of course about the kit and her finally waking up. He wasn't sure what to do with her now, though. He owed Tomosue, for helping him handle the advisors when he didn't know what to do at the time. In a sense, Tomosue advised him in a way his father never did, or could have. He made it easier for Sesshomaru to leave whenever he chose, and kept the other demon councilmen off his ass when it came to his duties and obligations as a landowner. Surely, saving his daughter wasn't a full payment of his debt, but it was at least a partial amount. He wanted to return home quickly to deal with the situation, send her away to be with her father, but frowned at that thought. Surely he was missing something…? Perhaps he should wait for the council meeting before making any decisions, which would leave the girl enough time to recuperate before she saw her father. There was at least another five days until then, he could wait until then, and perhaps, gain some clarity on what do with the kit-girl.

* * *

"Please, m'lady, I beg you." The demon woman, Usui, begged of the girl.  
"Usui, please…" Kasumi huffed, holding her hand up to pause the movements of the over attendant court lady. "I can't eat anymore, or I'll throw up." She pleaded with the concerned woman with her eyes alone, and eventually Usui sighed, defeated.  
"Oh, m'lady. Please… if you don't get strong soon, who know's what m'lord will do to me." She said quietly.  
Kasumi huffed. Usui was good at guilt tripping her into eating something by mentioning some terrible thing her lord might do. "As often as you talk ill of him, I'm surprised to not have met him yet."  
"He still isn't here yet, m'lady." Usui explained.  
"Eactly, he isn't here, so who exactly will yell at you if I don't eat all of my food? The cook? If that's the case, then please, have the rest." She pushed the tray of food towards the girl and Usui panicked.  
"Oh no, m'lady, I couldn't possibly! And he will be back, soon. There is a council meeting approaching, one the lord must attend to every year. He will be back, and he will be very angry if he sees you haven't gotten well. You can still barely stand." Usui explained, and Kasumi sighed lowly, looking at the tray of food. They were all easy things to consume, rice porridge, matcha* green tea, and a little bit of miso for her to consume. She could barely stomach the rice porridge, more than half of it left in her bowl, and the miso soup had been almost just as terrible. The only thing she could bare at the moment was the tea, which was smooth and warm running down her throat, and seemed to heat her cold fingers.  
"I'm sorry, Usui, I couldn't possibly eat anymore." She smiled at the girl feeling slightly guilty of what may happen to her, but Usui just gave a small nod and took her tray away, leaving the tea upon request.  
Once Kasumi was alone, she took a moment to admire her surroundings. She had her own Shōin* room, which she could see through the open doors Usui forgot to close. It was empty, but she knew what it was just from first glance. Behind it was a sitting room, which she currently was sitting in now, sitting in her proper seiza* position in the center of the room. The room itself was bare, likely because of a lack of use, and as she sniffed a couple times, it was clear there were only three scents lingering in the room. Hers, Usui's, and one she didn't recognize that likely belonged to this Lord Sesshomaru. The room she normally had her futon laid out in actually held some remnants of her presence there, her fox savior's robes had been laid out for her, for her to admire as she chose, she had been given her own wardrobe, and was given a series of expensive looking garments for her to adorn, yet Kasumi couldn't bring herself to wear. She barely left her rooms as it was, not once stepping into her shōin room, she hardly saw a reason to dress herself appropriately. She spent most of her time in her hiyoku*, and anytime Usui insisted on dressing her up in more layers, Kasumi refused.  
"What man will spend that much money on a woman he doesn't even know? I see no point in wearing the robes given to me, especially if I've never met him." Kasumi muttered to herself, looking away towards the half opened window, towards the afternoon sky. She could barely make out the edges of mounts and wondered if she'd ever see the outside world again, or what would become of her, staying in this man's care. What choice did she have though? As far as she was concerned, she was safe here, she didn't have to worry about bandits or horny, ambitious young lords. Just… demons. Demons, she hasn't dealt with before, but as far as she was concerned, the demon she had grown to know was more friendly to her than any human she's met in recent years.  
She smiled at the thought of Usui. She was a kind girl, didn't look much older than Kasumi, but insisted that she was older. She wasn't one to question her though, demons often looked younger than their actual years, yes? At least that's what she could remember from some of her lesson's with Kyah.  
She drank some of her tea as her heart began to sink into the pit of her stomach at the thought of her caretaker. How long has it been now? She tried counting down the months, but the last few were so surreal, she wasn't sure what amount of time really passed now. It had to have at least been a year since she died now, and her father? She swallowed hard, the pit in her stomach growing so much it swallowed her whole heart and she knelt forward, sobbing into the tatami. How much of this was a dream to her now? What did she imagine, what was reality to her now? She could hardly recollect the last few weeks, let alone whatever sight she picked up when she returned home. It wasn't real. It just couldn't be. Still, she somehow knew that her mind was trying to trick her, knew that whatever she tried to tell herself it was all a lie, and she was really alone now. It did nothing to make her feel better, and when Usui came into the room, she panicked and ran to the kit in an attempt to soothe her.  
"M'lady, are you in pain?" She questioned Kasumi, but the fox princess couldn't let out any words, and instead cried until Usui carried off into her rooms.

* * *

AN: Thanks for the support guys! Your faves and follows motivate my lazy bones to type more for you guys! Stay tuned, more is in store for you!

P.S. Ill try and post like once a weekish, depending on my amount of laziness (or if im just busier than usual) it may be one chapter a week or my continued three a week, but ill try and keep them regular.

* * *

*  
Daiyokai: Means great demon, or powerful demon

Matcha: Medicinal powder with loads of health benefits, enough so I don't feel like typing them all out.

Shōin Room: Reception/assembly/meeting hall/room. Used for formal occasions for the most part

Seiza: Traditional sitting position in which your bum touches your heels and you rest on your shins

Hiyoku: Silk robes worn under kimono


	12. Chapter 12: A Demons Prisoner

Chapter Twelve: A Demons Prisoner

* * *

Sesshomaru tapped his clawed finger against the ornate wooden table, blatantly ignoring the other lords as the carried on about their pointless conversation. He wasn't even sure what it was about, and his level of care on the matter showed on his face. It wasn't often he showed disinterest in the affairs of his land, even if he didn't care, he hardly showed it. They were, after all, his father's lands, and he needed to care for them apporpiately. Still, he couldn't stand the boring meetings he had to attend to year after year as they tried painstakingly to marry off whomever it was they wanted to in order to get more land control.  
It was stupid really. His father married his mother for obligation, but that didn't stop him from running off and finding a human to mate with and bear a son. He rubbed his forehead in mild irritancy, setting his hand down after a few more minutes before he decided to prematurely end the conversation, when he heard his name tossed around.  
"Well, I believe my daughter would serve the lord well." An Inu lord commented. Utada Hikozaemon was the less annoying of the three lords, but frustrating regardless. There was a reason why his father trusted Sesshomaru with his lands, and not the incompetent Lord Utada. He was barely holding onto his own house, and it seems the offer of marriage to Sesshomaru was how he planned on saving it.  
"I refuse," Sesshomaru said, stunning the others into a momentary silence. It wasn't often he spoke out against something during their meetings.  
"But my lord, surely you understand you must marry soon." Utada insisted gently, causing the inu lord to scoff.  
"Tch, I don't see a need for a woman right now when I have enough to deal with on my own." He argued back.  
"You can't have Lord Tomosue do everything for you, even sending one of his own court ladies to handle your house while you're gone. That's a job for your wife, my lord." Utada reasoned, and yet Sesshomaru still wanted nothing to do with what he said.  
"I've done that out of the generosity of my heart, Utada," Tomosue piped in, regarding the older inu lord with a friendly, though fox like smile on his lips. Sesshomaru didn't doubt that the fox demon did it through sheer kindness, but even a kind demon had their own ambitions. It was as if the fox wanted Sesshomaru to be indebted to him, which he wasn't okay with.  
Utada grumbled and crossed his arms, glaring at Tomosue. "Perhaps you want him to marry one of your own daughters then, _Lord_ Tomosue?" He put emphasis on the lord, as if expecting Tomosue to return the favor.  
He did not.  
"No, of course not. Quite truthfully, I don't believe any of my daughters would meet his standards, even if they did, what kind of marriage would they have, if he spent all of his time away, trying to find and kill this elusive Naraku?" Tomosue said. "I would much rather assist him in his task than hinder him with the prospect of marriage."  
"Perhaps, our young lord should give up his quest to find the hanyou." Utada brought up with a grumble.  
"I refuse," Sesshomaru said again, sitting up straight and staring at Utada with a cold intensity that could freeze over the pits of hell. "I will not allow him to make a fool of me not once, but twice now." He growled at the memory of Naraku using his distaste for his half-brother as a means to try and off them both, and also putting his ward in harms way. Of course, no one here knew about Rin. He came home smelling of a human girl on occasion, but everyone assumed it just because he traveled outside the estate often. And he'd keep it that way, not like anyone would question him.  
"See, it'd be much simpler to aid the young lord." Tomosue brought up, and the other lords grumbled their protest but eventually fell silent on the matter of marriage.  
After another hour of their pointless meeting, they were all dismissed, apart from Tomosue upon Sesshomarus request. In silence, the two sat, Sesshomaru openly staring at the fox lord, and Tomosue looking back, curious and probably a little confused too. He could see mild resemblance of the kit-girl and the lord. The hair was a dead giveaway, but more than that was the emerald gleam of their eyes, a light with mischief and curiosity. Sesshomaru laughed once before he stood up.  
"I want you to stay here for a few days, Lord Tomosue." Sesshomaru said. "There's something I have to attend to, but I'll send for you when I'm ready."  
"Of course, Lord Sesshomaru." Tomosue watched him depart, now more confused than anything. Usually Sesshomaru couldn't wait to get rid of the others so he can return to his travels. What on earth did he have to do that required them both to stay?

* * *

"Quickly, m'lady!" Usui insisted, hurrying to finish dressing Kasumi. The kit struggled to obey, not wanting to move from her spot on the futon. Why couldn't she sleep more? The negativities of the world couldn't reach her. Even in her dreams, she was happily surrounded by her memories. Usui yanked Kasumi up, slipping her arm into a solid colored kimono, then a second, a third, eventually a fourth, and then slipped over her four layers with an elegantly designed red kimono, similar to her fathers house robes but instead with the finishing's of cherry trees instead of peach ones.  
Kasumi pushed her hair from her face, only for Usui to swat her hands away and attempt to brush her blonde curtain. She huffed, wondering exasperatedly, why on earth she was being forced to get dressed, or why Usui was so frantically trying to get her ready.  
"Usui…" Kasumi looked up at the girl, and the court lady's fearful expression caused her to pause momentarily. "Is something the matter?"  
"Yes," she hissed lowly. "Lord Sesshomaru has returned, and he is on his way to see you. You must get ready right away, you wouldn't want the lord to see you lazing around, would you?"  
Kasumi was going to correct her that she wasn't lazing around, but over the past few days, she couldn't even bring herself to get out of her futon anymore. She supposed to anyone else outside her own mind would see that as lazing around. Eventually she decided to help Usui instead of hindering her, going far enough to stand and adjust her clothing more appropriately.  
The minute the two were done, they heard the sliding door to the shōin room open. They paused, and then Usui frantically added finishing touches to her ratty hair and then escorted her to the assembly room. The door slid open slowly, and Kasumi's eyes rose slightly, going up tied hakama's and sliding all the way up an armor torso till she settled on amber eyes.  
She felt her cheeks grow warm as she stared at him, openly.  
"Lady Kasumi, I present to you, Lord Sesshomaru, of the western lands." Usui's voice barely register in Kasumi's brain, as she began to process why this man looked so familiar to her, and then, all at once, in a single flash of an instant, it clicked.  
"You…! I told you not to interfere!" She yelled, surprising Usui and Sesshomaru both as she glared at the inulord.  
He glared right back at her and sat down at the center of the room. "As I recall, I didn't actually interfere." He pointed out.  
Kasumi growled, surprised by the sound but didn't stop it from coming out. "Saving my life is an interference. I didn't ask to be saved."  
"And yet, here you are, alive and quite well as far as I can see." He was looking at her with cold eyes, but he was amused by her reaction. "Or would you prefer if I just killed you now?" He asked.  
The girl Usui called Kasumi looked taken aback for a moment, and eventually sat across from him. He sat there, patiently waiting for her to do something. After staring at him, long and hard she lowered her head to the floor, palms flat against the tatami, and she bowed lowly, forehead practically touching the ground.  
"Thank you, for your generosity, my lord, in saving my life." She said softly, slowly coming up and resting her hands back onto her lap. He stared at her, expression unreadable, and eventually looked away from her.  
"I didn't do it for you," he explained. Kasumi felt her annoyance growing. What an arrogant little man he was.  
"Then why, may I ask, is a demon lord such as yourself concerning himself with me?" She asked, attempting to keep her tone calm and collected.  
"Your father," he began, waiting for her reaction. She didn't give one, not right away.  
She looked down at her lap, and spoke softly. "He's dead, my lord."  
"Dead?" He looked at her, narrowing his eyes. Now he would finally get some answers. "Who Exactly is your father?"  
Kasumi looked at him quizzically. He sounded before as if he knew her father, but now she wasn't sure she heard him right. "Lord Kazuhiro Ishikawa of the Eastern Lands." She explained, and watched as Sesshomaru shook his head, an almost amused look in his amber eyes.  
"What do you know of the man who kidnapped you?" He asked, her scoff not going unnoticed.  
"Which one?" She asked. "From what I remember, there were at least four. Two of them were killed, though the second one didn't die until after he had taken me long from my home. The third one… Well I'm not so sure about him. He could have been killed, perhaps, I don't know, I don't really kill. And the last one…" She trailed off. To be honest, she barely remembered the last one. It was a blur to her, and made more unreal by the fact that she had actually fought him… and won too. "I don't… really know about that one. It's the one I fought."  
"You have no idea who he is?" Sesshomaru questioned, and she shook her head.  
"No, my lord." She said. "I had never met him before."  
"Does the name Tomosue sound familiar to you at all?"  
"No, my lord." She watched Sesshomaru for a few moments, wondering what he planned on doing her, especially with this line of questioning.  
"You grow up in a human home." He said, and when she nodded he went back into silence.  
Eventually she couldn't take it anymore and spoke up. "What do you plan on doing with me now, my lord? Surely you don't want a half breed roaming around your house."  
"I don't care about that," he said instinctively, and then caught himself. "Or rather, it doesn't make a difference to me what you are. You're half human, but the other half of you is demon. I doubt you know much about the other half of your blood."  
She shook her head. "No, my lord. All I know is that my real father is a fox demon from the east. I want to say I have met him once before, but it may have been someone else." A thoughtful smile crossed her lips as she remembered her savior.  
"Did he give you those blue robes I found you in?"  
"Yes, my lord. He saved me from a terrible man who was trying to…" She stopped herself, not really wanting to say what Takami tried to do to her that night. "He saved me, is all that matters. I wish I could thank him properly, however, I don't think I will be able to."  
"And why is that?" He asked her, leaning forward a little. Usui was standing at the back of the room, and was amazed to see her lord engage in conversation the way he was with Lady Kasumi. He rarely spoke to anyone.  
"Well, my lord… I'm… I'm not quite sure. I've never been allowed outside the estate walls. Had never been outside them till my kidnapping. With my father dead and my family estate destroyed, I have no place to return to, and no idea on how to start searching for him. I don't even think I can properly fend for myself out in the open. I don't… really know how to do anything, apart from running a household."  
As she said it, he had his interest piqued. Of course, even by human standards, tradition was still the same. It shouldn't have surprised him that she would understand the basics of household affairs. The only thing she wouldn't really know about is the demon side of things, rules applied with them, traditions and what not. Things that could be learned. Things that could be taught.  
"While you've been here thus far… How exactly would you tell me your stay was?" He asked.  
She frowned, unsure how to answer his question at first. "Its loud in the mornings," she muttered. "I can hear the men out front, shouting at one another during their trainings. My room is clean, for the most part, but it's also bare. I haven't seen it get scrubbed down once while here. The food is also a bit… bland, I'm afraid. The only thing I enjoyed was the tea, and even that could be greatly improved."  
"Hm," Sesshomaru watched her thoughtfully, considering her words carefully. So Tomosue's little court lady was either slacking, or was trying her best. Either way, it wasn't the best it could be. "Alright, I've made up my mind." He stood up. "You'll be staying here, and I will leave the running's of the house to you." He informed her.  
Kasumi stared up at him, amazed at his boldness, but refusing to back down. "Excuse me? Don't I get a say in this, at all?" She asked.  
"No, you don't. While I saved you as a payment to an acquaintance, it doesn't change the fact that now you owe me. One thing you should learn while you're here, kit, is that a demon always pays their debts in full. I saved your life, and now it is mine to do with as I see fit. You will remain here, in the safety of these walls, and will run my household while I am away on travels. Clearly they are lacking in something here, for you to have as many complaints as you do." She was about to protest but he stopped her with a hand raised. "When my travels are done, after I have killed the wretched Naraku, I will return you to your Lord Father Tomosue."  
"Naraku…?" The name sounded familiar on her tongue, but she quickly latched onto what he said about Tomosue. "You mean you know him?"  
"Yes, not that that will make much of a difference here to you. You're in the west, you wont see him anytime soon." Sesshomaru warned, and the kit looked down at her hands, almost awestricken at the words he spoke.


	13. Chapter 13: His word is Law

Chapter Thirteen: His word is Law

* * *

"I object to this decision," Kasumi's voice rang loud and clear through the halls outside her room. Usui gulped, standing just outside her room, too afraid to step inside, knowing well that Sesshomaru was with her.

"I don't recall asking for your opinion." Usui could make out the distinct drawl in her lords' voice. He didn't sound happy, but then again, did he ever?

"This is absolutely absurd. I refuse to abide by this." Within the confines of the room, Kasumi stood facing the daiyokai with her arms cross over her chest, defiantly staring into his eyes.

"You don't have a choice." Sesshomaru was staring down at the girl, his expression void of any emotion, but it was clear, to Kasumi at least, that he was annoyed with her.

Good.

"You can't make me agree to this." She declared, turning her back to face him and walking off to the other side of the room.

"I can, and will. You refuse to obey, then I no longer see a use for you." Why was he arguing back with her? He saw no reason to try and convince her to be his Lady of the House, granted she'd be an asset to him but it wasn't a necessity. What did he care anyway? Just that it would tarnish his family name if he continued to neglect his home, as if it wasn't already tarnished enough.

"But announcing me as Lady of the House… that's… that's just extreme." Her cheeks went red, and he was curious as to why. Perhaps it had something to do with the anger he smelled from her.

"How else will you gain full access and control to everything within the house?" He questioned, exasperated.

"That's…" She trailed off, her words falling short. "Y-you don't understand the affairs of a young girl's heart, Lord Sesshomaru. Asking a woman to be the Lady of the House is the same as asking her to be your wife." The redness in her cheeks intensified, and he suddenly understood the meaning. She was embarrassed.

"You and I both know that is incorrect." He stated. "I only have one use for you, and it isn't to be a wife."

"Th-That changes nothing!" She stammered. "What were to happen to me, once you return me to my father, hm?" She asked him. "Becoming your Lady of the House and later marrying you is one thing, but giving me that title and then sending me away can tarnish my name as a woman. As a noblewoman. I can't even begin to explain the backlash that would transpire afterwards." Despite that Kasumi no longer desired marriage like she once did, she still knew it was one of the duties she had to carry out. What kind of man would she be forced to marry if working for this Lord Sesshomaru ruined her name?

"Hm…" Sesshomaru watched her, intrigued. So this was something that humans worried about? He shook his head at the girls childish worries, choosing to not humor her further. "Ridiculous." He turned his own back to her and opened the door, revealing the ease dropping Usui. He barely even glanced at the court lady as he stepped past her. "The decision, is final, kit." He said sternly and walked off.

Kasumi followed after him with a fire light in her. He was all to aware of her attempt to follow him, so he lead her down stair ways, through winding hallways, over thresholds, and before she knew it, she was running right into him in her attempt to keep up with him. He turned slowly to face her, and was staring down at her with the full force of a winters evening, cold and brisk and without a hint of light. She swallowed hard, looking up into the golden eyes of the inu lord and finding herself strangely parched. She couldn't deny he was strikingly beautiful for a man... for a demon but she didn't have much experience in either, so she wasn't sure just how accurate her observation was. To her though, he was gorgeous, and she didn't mind looking. She was especially drawn to his golden eyes. They were so familiar to her, colder than she thought she recognized but the color and depth were so similar to...

"Inuyasha," She said softly, and Sesshomaru's lips drew into a small frown at the name.

"How do you know that name?" She caught him off guard in calling out his half-brothers name while staring at his persons. He had been leading her back to her rooms in a very passive aggressive and roundabout way, until he finally grew bored of playing follow the leader, and was ready to send her off. Yet all of that went right over his head now, all with the mere mention of that name.

"He stayed at my father's estate," She explained, not looking away from his eyes, which he was beginning to see she did often with him. "He and his friends tried helping us, but..." she trailed off and her pristine little face scrunched up in pure despair. It was ugly to see; she was trying so hard to hide her tears but Sesshomaru could smell her sorrow; putrid stench that was unbecoming of the kit-girl. He didn't like it, it mutated her fresh, sweet scent into something that was grotesque to him.

"You claim you are a noblewoman," he started, shoving all thoughts of her usual sweet scent aside. "But you're forgetting your place here. You aren't a guest. You are a prisoner, and your only purpose is to take care of the household while I handle my affairs outside these walls. I care very little about your opinion on how I title you, or how it may affect you in the future. All I care about is finding Naraku and killing him. I can't do that while also trying to keep this place to uphold its glory. I know you're still a child, so I will-"

"I am NOT a child." She said it so abruptly that it caused Sesshomaru to stop himself and momentarily look at her. While she didn't physically look like a child, she most certainly was in his eyes.

He set his gaze down upon her and regarded her quietly. Her eyes held a fierceness in them she hadn't shown recently, but it reminded him of her fighting for her life. They would have been deadly, if it weren't for the fact that she looked particularly adorable. For a kit. A half kit. He frowned as the thought crossed his mind and his gaze turned cold. "While you may think that, to us, you are one. And we will-"

"I am NOT a child." She insisted, stopping him once more, causing a low growl to rumble in the inu lords' chest.

"Stubborn girl. That proves you're a child right there." He stated.

"Stubbornness does not equate childishness." She crossed her arms, looking every bit as a defiant child. "Stubbornness is a show of a strong will. I am grown, and won't tolerate being treated like I'm a kid."

He would have chuckled, if he weren't so annoyed with her. Her logic made no sense to him. Stubbornness to him was the inability to see things from another's perspective, refusing to even, as she was doing now. "Fine, you want to be treated as an adult here? Then you'll be treated like one. But be warned, the stunt you pulled earlier, disobeying me, is only acceptable for a kit, and I won't tolerate it from an 'adult' such as yourself. I am the lord here; my word is law. You chose not to follow it, then you will be punished according to how I see fit."

"So no one is allowed to object to you here? No one has a say so?" She seemed offended, her brow perked.

"My word is law," He said again. "And it will be obeyed. Kits get away with it, simply because most of them don't have control over what they say and do until they reach a certain maturity. If you can hold back that tongue of yours, you'll be treated like an adult. If not, well, I may be indebted to Tomosue, but that doesn't mean I don't have the right to exact out a punishment however I see fit."

Outraged by the sheer absurdity of his words, of this situation, her anger bubbled over, and her expression grew harsh with anger.

"Listen here-" She started, but cut herself off when a strong scent of peaches wafted into the room. She turned her attention to the source of the scent, and her eyes settled onto blond hair and ears.

Lord Tomosue was a tall man, as was most daiyokai's. He was taller than Sesshomaru, but that likely had more to do with their age difference than anything else. He was about as otherworldly as Sesshomaru was, as if he had a glow to him that was all his own. There was something about his presence that was calming, soothing the storm of rage that waged within Kasumi with just a single look.

She stared openly at him, hearing her heart hammering in her ears, and the world around her seemed to stop. She never did get a good look at the man's face who had saved her, and now that she did, she couldn't tear her gaze away from him. He had thin, cerulean stripes beneath his eyes, accenting the gem like color of his irises. His skin was the color of milk, looked just as smooth as it too. He had a somewhat broad body, hidden beneath expensive clothes and sturdy armor, and he had a sword at his hip that practically sung to Kasumi, and he had a long, gloriously fluffy tail hanging down past his hakama, the fur matching the gleam of his golden hair. And there were his robes. She memorized every symbol, every stitch in the one he gave her, and the one he wore now over his armor bore no inaccuracies. This was the man who saved her all those months ago. The one Sesshomaru called Tomosue.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Tomosue started, unable to tear his gaze away from the kit-girl standing inches away from the young inu lord. "What is the meaning of this?"

Suddenly, Tomosue was staring distractedly at him instead of Kasumi as Sesshomaru stepped into his view, making the kitsune lord blink away his dazed confusion.

"I could have sworn I sent a man to go look for her weeks ago, only for them both to come up missing, how is it that you, have found her?" He questioned, and Sesshomaru shrugged once. Kasumi was peering around him, and the inu could feel her terrified clutch on his sleeve.

Wasn't a kit? He scoffed at that. She wasn't fooling anyone with the reaction she was giving now. Her fear was heavy in the air, both demons could smell it now, and when Tomosue's eyes fell onto her again, she ducked behind Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru, is this what you wanted to talk about…?" Tomosue asked softly. "Did you find her for me?"

"No," Sesshomaru stated. "She has a use for me, that is all. Despite how much I detest the topic; Utada did have a point in regards to the issues of my house. The court lady you sent isn't doing her job the best she could be. As a trained noblewoman, she has the know how I require to bring this house back onto its feet." As he said it, he gestured to the tiny woman hiding behind him.

"But she's a child," Tomosue said slowly, stating a fact but phrasing it like a question.

"She insists otherwise," Sesshomaru drawled out equally as slowly. "Little does she know; an adult doesn't receive lessons on what she should already know about demons."

Kasumi swallowed hard and looked down at her feet. _Is that why he kept insisting I was one?_ "I-I suppose, perhaps, in light of the situation, you will make an exception?" She questioned quietly, feeling Sesshomaru turn to stare at her.

"No. Only kits can receive proper education. Since you're an adult, you won't need those lessons." He concluded, and she grumbled to herself at the response.

"V-very well then, my lord. Perhaps I was wrong… in my insistence." She was looking down at her feet when she felt clawed fingers turning her chin skywards.

"Remember that, girl. You are a child in this house." He spoke coolly, his breath hitting her nose and a musky warm scent enveloped her nostrils.

She swallowed once, tearing her gaze away from him in favor of the floor. "Yes, my lord…" She muttered quietly, and the coolness of his fingers slipped away from her chin.

"Return to your rooms. I will send for you later." He ordered, and after a very brief direction of where she needed to go, Kasumi was off, leaving the two lords alone.

An awkward silence passed between the two of them, neither one willing to speak up first. The tension in the air reeked, wafting through the hallways as a tainted odor. Tomosue stared at the place his daughter had been standing in, as if she had been an apparition his mind fabricated, still not fully comprehending what was going on. Eventually, Sesshomaru turned away from the fox and walked down the hallway.

"My study," was all he needed to say for the fox to follow behind him.

"Aren't you going to explain…?" Tomosue questioned, and received silence from the lord. That silence followed behind them all the way to Sesshomaru's study, which suddenly felt like a long walk to him. Tomosue asked no other questions as the inulord sat at his desk, setting his two swords down by his side, and motioned for the fox to sit across from him. Once he did, he expected an explanation, but instead got nothing from him. He was used to Sesshomaru's long periods of silence, knowing well that if he had nothing useful to say, the inu wouldn't speak. He rubbed his forehead, sighing loudly and regarded the lord with an almost pained look in his eyes. "Perhaps you want an explanation from me then, don't you?" When all Tomosue got was silence, he continued. "Her mother was a lady of one of the human households in the east. We all make our regular rounds through our lands, even the human ones, and especially the main houses. It's where I met her, Yuriko." A gentle smile spread across the fox's' lips. "I won't bore you with the details, my lord. Yuriko and I had a child together. I was unable to get to her and our daughter before her lord discovered who fathered the child. I assumed they both had been killed… If not, I would have taken her home with me right away. I appreciate you for finding my daughter-"

"She's not your daughter." Sesshomaru said, cutting off Tomosue. "By blood, maybe. But the man who raised her, she sees more as a father than you. To call yourself her father is an insult."

"While that is true, she is still my blood, and I intend to take her back, my lord, whether you agree to it or not." Tomosue argued back, narrowing his eyes at the inulord.

"What would Sadako think then, bringing home a child that's not hers but looks exactly like you?" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at Tomosue and the fox lord fell silent for a moment. Sadako was a woman worth fearing. She was a fox demon, much like Tomosue, but held an aura that was unlike any of their kind. She was sweet, for the most part until she felt she was crossed, and no one was safe from her fury, not even her husband, who didn't want to anger his mate.

"I will have to handle Sadako then." Tomosue said, voice sounding sure, but Sesshomaru knew better.

"And the kit? What about her, hm? Do you think she'd be capable of handling an overcrowded home like yours?" He didn't have a care in the world about what would happen to Kasumi. No matter how endearing her ferocity could be. He only wanted to keep her from being taken away when he still had a use for her.

"She is a strong girl…" Tomosue's determination to bring her home began to fall flat.

"How would you know? You haven't watched her grow; you don't know what type of girl she is." He watched as the gears turned in the fox lords' eyes, until eventually he sighed in resignation.

"What exactly do you intend to do with her...?" He asked.

"I will be making her Lady of the House, so that I don't have to worry about these pointless marriage proposal's Utada keeps mentioning, and I won't require your services anymore." Sesshomaru said simply.

"Lady of the House? Do you intend on marrying the poor girl?"

"No," Sesshomaru held back the need to roll his eyes at the suggestion.

"I can't condone that." Tomosue said sternly, his determination suddenly returning. "I may not be the father she thinks of me as, but I am still her father. I won't allow her to be tossed into that world and then come out of it with nothing to show for. You won't ruin her name as a demon before she can even make something of herself here."

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. A father's concern was too much, and he was making too much sense for his liking. Tomosue saw things from a demons' point of view, something the kit-girl would eventually have to learn herself.

"Then I will announce her as my intended." Sesshomaru said calmly, and Tomosue was stunned by the words.

"She's too young to be your intended. She hasn't even had her first-"

"I will announce her as my intended, until she has reached the proper maturity. But she will be an intended only. Discussions of a further relationship can happen _after_ I've taken care of Naraku."

"But-" Tomosue started but Sesshomaru cut him off swiftly.

"She will live here, and run my house, and be treated as a mate to be. She will not be harmed within these walls so long as people know she is my intended. As luck would have it, so long as she remains here, Sadako will not find out about her true heritage. I will take care of her education, and proceed with her training to the best of my abilities, and no," he stopped Tomosue before he could cut in. "I will not be asking you for further help, not even when it comes to her training. Rescuing her is how I planned on paying you back for the years in which you aided me, however it stops now. You will retract your court lady and other supports you have within my home, and leave everything else to her and I."

"You can't be serious." Tomosue sat dumfounded at the young lord.

"Of course I am. And while she's here, the two of you can't be in the same room together." Sesshomaru added, and didn't miss the angered growl in the fox.

"You intend to keep us separated?!" He snarled, the suddenly serene man turning vicious in a single second.

"I do. You two look too much alike. I wonder if she'll be able to change her appearance so she doesn't look so much like you. It's too obvious just who her father is. There aren't many yellow haired demons." Sesshomaru looked at Tomosue, dead in the eye. "With that out of the way, you may leave. I no longer require your services, and see no need for your further presence."

* * *

AN Notes:

Early update, I know. It's spring break, not that Ill actually do anything over this time, but it does mess up my writing schedule a little bit (by my standards I guess). I don't know if there will be two more chapters this week, however, this one is a little longer than the others so hopefully that makes up for it. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy, and as always, thanks for the support!


	14. Chapter 14: Prison of Instinct

Chapter Fourteen: Prison of Instinct

* * *

Black ink pooled out over Kasumi's shoulder, spilling out onto her blank parchment, coating it until none of the paper remained. She blinked through blurry eyes, swiping away the mane of hair that obstructed her, flinging it over her shoulder.

"M'lady," Usui's voice broke through her bleary torpor and she looked up to see the girls expression. She held concern in her eyes for the young fox, who seemed notably less lively since she changed her appearance. "Would you like me to put your hair up for you?" She asked kindly, adding a smile to sweeten the request. Kasumi gave a slight nod, and the young demoness quickly hurried behind the tired kit and knelt behind her. She started separating her hair, and a peaceful silence fell between the two girls as Kasumi tried focusing on the task Sesshomaru had given her. She was to complete it before he returned around dinner time. "You have such lovely hair, Lady Kasumi." Usui said, breaking the silence of her mind, and Kasumi gave a weak smile in return. "It's a shame Lord Sesshomaru has you hiding the original color. I loved the mixture."

"He insisted upon it. Said I can't look to familiar… Whatever that means." She rolled her eyes, shedding some light on her annoyance that Usui quickly picked up on.

"It must be tiring, m'lady. Keeping up an illusion all the time like this. You look terribly exhausted." The motions of Usui's hands slowed a tad, but she still proceeded to braid her hair and move it up to place into a loose chignon*.

"I'm fine," She said smoothly. "I've had to do this all my life. I don't know what made me think I would have to change that now…" She sighed heavily, and felt Usui's hands on her shoulders as she finished with her hair. The touch was warm, and reassuring and Kasumi felt herself relax. "I just… I've been so weak lately… I haven't felt much of my demon powers until recently. I don't really understand why though… I just need to get used to holding the illusion and barrier up again. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"You'd be better if you ate more, m'lady." Usui gestured to the tray of nearly untouched food, and Kasumi felt her stomach churn.

"I can't eat anymore, Usui." Kasumi said, trying to refocus on her task in an effort to ignore Usui's concern.

"You've been here almost three months and haven't eaten nearly enough to live off of. You're still all skin and bones, m'lord can't possibly introduce you to the house when you are as weak as you are." Usui said, moving to sit beside Kasumi.

"How do you know that isn't my plan?" The Kit looked down at the demoness only to be met with a strong look of disapproval. She felt the laughter building before she could stop it, and she slapped the table in an attempt to keep the boisterous noise under control, failing none to gracefully. Her laughter was loud and filled the entirety of her study with its warmth, and though the laughter confused Usui, she smiled at seeing the kit filled with so much joy. "I-I'm so sorry," Kasumi finally managed through chortles of mirth. "It's just… that look… It reminded me of my caretaker back home. She used to give me that look all the time." Her laughter died down eventually, and sadness clenched her heart once more, reminding her that her loved one was gone.

"M'lady, it's wonderful to see you laugh this way. You've seemed so terribly sad since you arrived here." Usui spoke sweetly, and Kasumi watched as the girl's expression morphed into a tender joy. "When m'lord brought you here, I feared for the worst. He refused to let anyone else see you. He was so wrought with worry he came to your bedside every day to see your wellbeing." Usui twisted the truth a tad, knowing her lord would back hand her if he heard what she was saying, but there was more truth in there than he realized. "You were a very fast healer too. Especially for a hanyou, m'lady. N-not that that is bad of course." She stammered apologetically before continuing. "You healed within a day of being brought to me, with no help from m'lord, and just from my home remedies. But you were asleep for so long… it was like you had given up on your body. You must have been grief stricken for a strong woman like you to be unwilling to live."

Kasumi swallowed hard, and looked down at her hands. She barely knew this girl and Usui showed a concern for her she hadn't expected in anyone other than her Kyah. "I lost my family." She said softly. "Mother and father both. My caretaker, Kyah… She was like a mother to me and a wretched man shortened her life by his actions. Demons attacked my home and slaughtered everyone in it, father included. I was… kidnapped and near death… treated as a slave by people who 'rescued' me… all because of my desire to live longer. When I learned father died, of course I was upset. Angry that my last image of him had been horrific. I took that anger out on someone who tried to kidnap me… I barely remember what happened, but…" She began to graze over the textbooks that littered her desk. They were almost about the construct of a demon. The basis of their primal instincts was the primary topic in each text, stating that within each demon was a great beast that had its own desires, thoughts and actions. "Reading these, I wonder if it's possible that maybe a hanyou such as myself has this 'beast' these texts bring up." She gestured to them, and Usui watched the defeated look come over her. It was clear to her that her Lady required some insight.

"I can't tell you much about hanyou's m'lady," she began. "However, there were rumors floating around the estate about Lord Sesshomaru's half-brother, Inuyasha. I don't know the details, but his lord fathers blood is powerful, a daiyokai like m'lord. It's possible, I suppose for a hanyou with daiyokai blood in his veins to have a beast of their own. If you have a beast, m'lady, perhaps she is the one that has prevented you from dying."

"You think I may have one?" Kasumi questioned, looking at Usui.

"It's possible. She seems to lie dormant in you, but if you tried reaching out to her, perhaps you'll get the answers you seek." Usui gave a reassuring smile, one Kasumi didn't dwell on as the wheels of her mind began turning. As she once again began to delve into her studies, Usui left her alone, taking away her tray of food and leaving the room.

The morning hours passed her by quickly, and though Usui checked on her often, Kasumi was too distracted to notice her. By the time dinner came, she had finished the final brushes of her work. She sighed contently, when an overwhelming presence sunk into her stomach, and clouded her mind. She swallowed hard, and looked up to see Sesshomaru staring down at her. She couldn't place the emotion she smelled from him, something between annoyance and anger, yet accomplished all the same. And then the reek of death wafted into her nose like an updraft and she plugged it.

"You smell awful," she said, looking away from him as if it would save her nose.

"Tch," he scoffed, walking into the room with Usui behind him, carrying two trays of food and bringing them over to Kasumi's personal rooms. Reluctantly, she followed behind him, ashamed of herself for speaking so freely in front of him. It was like she had no head to mouth filter when he was near. She sat across from him, and stared down at the food in front of her. It was an absurd amount of meat, she couldn't quite place it, but it smelled like boar to her. It overshadowed the rice on her plate, which looked drab in comparison to the steaming pile beside it. The scent actually made her mouth water in delight, and without thinking of her actions, she dug into the meal that had been prepared for them. Usui was ready to correct the lady for eating before Sesshomaru, but the inulord shooed her away. It was only when she was gone did he finally eat himself, but he took a quite satisfaction in watching Kasumi devour what he had killed and cooked for her. She ate as ladylike as possible, but he saw the shimmer of her ravenous demon beneath the surface.

"Your hair is up today," Sesshomaru commented, stopping the kit from eating long enough to look up at him with surprise.

"Y-yes… I'm sorry, my lord. I know it isn't exactly formal but it was getting in the way." Kasumi said softly, and Sesshomaru watched the demon recede beneath her façade.

"Our meals together are meant to be informal." He explained softly and motioned to her food. "Finish eating." He ordered.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly eat anymore, my-" She stopped when she saw him glare at her, and she stared down at her food with a grumble in her stomach.

"You're starving her." He said, and she looked up at him, puzzled by his words. "Today's lesson." He stared off towards her study, before gazing back at her. "What did you learn?"

She paused, pulling at the meat and adding small morsels to her mouth. "Some demons have a second being within them called a beast, and that this beast has its own mind per say… it can, on certain occasions control a demon and take over their every thought, sense and action. The texts describe it as an uncontrollable form not to be reckoned with."

"And?" He pressed, and Kasumi stared up at him, trying to find something in his expression that didn't seem… so noncomforting.

"I learned that your brother Inuyasha has one." She said, taking another bite and using that as an excuse to not say anything as she watched his expression turn sour.

 _No, it's not his face… it's his scent._ As the thought crossed her mind, she noticed immediately that his expression didn't change at all, but she could smell his distaste in the current conversation topic.

"My lord…?" She questioned when he didn't say anything to her. His eyes slightly narrowed and she quickly looked down at her food. She was surprised to see almost everything except the rice on her tray had been devoured. She didn't even remember tasting any of it, but the meat she had been consumed lacked a name for flavor. It had tasted like heaven to her, and gave her a nearly euphoric feeling.

"Your food, did you enjoy it…?" He questioned softly, and Kasumi looked up at him, and nodded.

"Yes, my lord. I did." As she said the words, she smelled pride coming off the inulord, and she felt her cheeks turn warm. Why was she able to tell what he was feeling with just smell?

"What else did you learn?" He asked her, continuing their previous topic.

"I… Well, my lord… I'm not quite sure. It seemed to present more questions than answer any." She explained. He lifted a single, quizzical brow and she elaborated. "The text always talks about full blooded demons, and that daiyokai's are the only ones to have this side of them… and that lesser demons are… how should I put this… lesser demons are a diluted version of the beast daiyokai's express." She started thinking back the parchment in her study, which had all the questions she wanted to ask written down. She didn't even write down what he asked of her and she smiled a little at it. "I was thinking… If my lords half-brother can display a beast of his own in the right environment, can other hanyou's do the same? Or is it limited to the ones parented by the daiyokai?"

He closed his eyes as she explained her questions, his mind drifting off momentarily to think of the time his brother would be overtaken by their fathers' blood and become a monster without thought or care, but only if he didn't have the Tenseiga at his side. Then his mind wandered off to seeing the tiny kit before him fight off against a lesser demon and eventually killing him. She seemed to hold no recollection of the fight, and Inuyasha never remembered what happened to him, as far as Sesshomaru knew. Despite that one particular similarity, it seemed Kasumi had had more control over her actions than Inuyasha. She had specifically gone after the man who tried to take her, and left Sesshomaru alone. He wanted to say it was because she must have sensed she would lose against him, but at the same time, just from the look he got into her eyes that day, she seemed to believe she would die during her fight. So it begged the question to him, what was the difference between the two hanyous?

"My lord?" Kasumi's delicate voice broke him out his thoughts and he opened his eyes to gaze upon her. She had a curious look in her eyes, mixed with questions and uncertainty, and he could smell her concern and fear for what she saw as the unknown.

"I can't answer that," he eventually mused. "There aren't many daiyokai's that have hanyou children. I know that there has to be others, but the two I know of are you and Inuyasha. With that being said, there are significant differences between the two of you."

"Differences like what?" Kasumi asked him, and he felt a slight smile tug at the corner of his lips he forced down. His words and reassured her enough the concern and fear in her scent had mitigated.

"The conditions in which the two of you shift, for instance. Inuyasha seems to only do it while separated from the sword our father left him while he's about to die. You however…" He trailed off. "Well, why don't you tell me. What do you remember feeling that day?"

"What I was feeling…" She trailed off as she tried to recall the powerful emotions she experienced. "I was sad. I learned the truth of father's… Lord Ishikawa's death… I was… I didn't know what to do with myself. I felt like giving up. That was when I was taken and then I just felt anger. All I remembered was anger. Knowledge that I would likely die, but I wasn't going to go down without fighting. I…" She trailed off. "While separated from my home, I suppose I could say I met with several fates that left me with the desire to just want to curl up and die. But then out of nowhere, something would surge through me that screamed it wanted me to live, no matter what it took."

"Your beast, you do have one. She comes out in your strong desires it seems. One of those strong desires is to live." He pointed to her tray. "To sustain itself, to sustain you. Most pups don't experience the dangers you have at their age. They stay with their families, who guard and protect them. The need for survival isn't strong within them, because their parents survive for them, provide for them. You were taken away from your security. Your beast acted on instinctual survival. She had the strong desire to return you home, so that you can be protected again. Once she lost that safety-"

"She acted out…" She said softly. She thought to herself, considering all of what Sesshomaru had said to her. She had a beast all her own, that protected her even when Kasumi didn't want her too. She almost smiled at the thought, however bittersweet it tasted in her mouth. "I'm my own guardian." She chuckled, the soft sound lifting Sesshomarus ears. "So with my father- Lord Ishikawa passed, I lost what my security."

Sesshomaru nodded approvingly once she had picked up what he was explaining to her, a sense of pride welling in him at how quickly she learned. He squashed that emotion down, and in an attempt to distract his mind he shifted his sitting position a little.

"If that's the case… then why is it that when I met Lord Tomosue… I couldn't bring myself to talk to him? Why did I feel scared?" Kasumi asked him, and Sesshomaru had to consider his words carefully.

"You've never truly met him. It's not unusual for a kit to be scared of a daiyokai. Even if it's their own blood. We radiate power that makes other demons shake. You've never known the man as a father… the likely scenario with your beast is that she doesn't know security with a man she doesn't know." He explained, and watched Kasumi puzzle through her thoughts.

"Then why am I not scared of you, my lord?" She questioned quietly.

Sesshomaru fell silent. He couldn't answer the question right away, he hadn't expected the question to begin with. It's not like he was nice to her. In fact, over the last two months, he's probably pissed her off more times that he could count on one hand. He told her he was making her an intended, but didn't explain to her what that meant, and told Usui to keep her trap shut or he'd kill her. That had been enough to entice the rage of the tiny kit, but it eventually died down. And because he was going to announce her as his intended, he had make outward appearances about it too. This one he knew she hated more than anything, simply because for a solid three weeks he stuck to her side like glue. He traded all of her clothes in for ones that had his scent on them, spent every free minute he had walking into her rooms without announcement, going as deep as her bedroom and even covering her futon with his scent. He did everything possible so that people would realize that she was his property and if anyone touched her they had him to deal with. He also had to make sure she was sustaining herself too. Once he learned she wasn't eating, he had to go out and go hunt for her food himself and then prepare it too. After all, mate's had to provide for each other, and this was how he was supposed to provide for her. Everyone else would assume he was serious about the hanyou with just these small actions. For a brief moment, he thought he was taking it too seriously, but after watching her devour her meal, he was satisfied with what he was doing for her.

He closed his eyes, and Kasumi took it that he didn't plan on answering her. She poked at her food, pushing the rice aside and looking towards the window in the room. It was full, indicating that half a month had flown by for her again without her knowing. Quiet settled between them, and Kasumi didn't feel the need to fill the air with her thoughts, when something suddenly slammed into the forefront of her mind.

"Safety." She said. "You said my beast requires safety, because its still a pup, right?" She asked. He opened his eyes to watch her, and was a little surprised to see the light shining in her gem orbs. "When I was being held captive, I was very conscious of the time I was with them. Not a day went by where I didn't know how long I was with them. When I'm here… I hardly notice it's passing. Because I feel safe here. I don't feel like I'm being threatened… or that I have to try and be something I'm not. The worst you make me do is hide my hair and fur colors." That and annoy her half to death but she kept that to herself, as the sudden realization calmed her.

Sesshomaru watched her, seeing and smelling the girls serenity and feeling himself relax, not even realizing he had been tense to begin with. Again, a sense of pride clouded his thoughts, and he growled in his efforts to squash it. Kasumi heard it and she quickly closed in on herself. "I-I'm sorry, my lord. I didn't mean to upset you." She said, bowing her head to him apologetically, and he growled again as seeing her lower herself. He stood up quickly and left the room without saying anything to her, leaving the door open for Usui to come in. She did so, and without hesitating her speaking to her lord or lady, took their trays away and left, leaving Kasumi with a strange ache in her chest.

* * *

Chignon: Up do hairstyle not to be mistaken for a bun! Its a knot or coil of hair at the back of a woman's neck. Usually held up with hair pins and other hair ornaments in the edo period

AN:

Guest reviewer:

Just a fair warning to you before you begin reading my response to you: I'm kind of an asshole. Well not kind of, I'm a huge asshole, and while I freaking love getting ALL TYPES OF REVIEWS (because honestly, my friends only ever give me the good stuff), I also have a huge problem with what you said, and not because it's negative. Again, let me stress this, I appreciate all sorts of reviews and constructive criticism, but for lack of a better way to explain it, I don't think it's constructive. I think you're more confused.

Now I get what youre saying but I'm wondering how much paying attention you did while reading this? The first several chapters are essentially background for Kasumi, and explaining how She winds up with Sesshomaru. I know that tends to be a huge middle finger to everyone because WOW all those chapters for a background. The real story doesn't actually start (in other words, the plot) until around chapter twelve. Yeah I know, it's a pain, and it's a little sporadic at times but that's why I've been posting three chapters a week, so everyone can get to the actual plot of the story. (Which I know I haven't explained until now).

And again, I don't think you've paid attention? Have you met a child before? Do you have any idea how chaotic their emotions can be sometimes? Granted, it ain't always like that with certain children depending on how their raised, but literally every child has their moments in life. So mingle the emotions of a child with the hyperactivity of a fox (by the way, have you seen a fox that wasn't hyper? One that wasn't old?) and add a dash of repressed childhood tendencies, things can get crazy.

I'll try and break this down so it's easy for you and anyone else who has the same feelings about Kasumi and how she "acts out of character". She doesn't act out of character. There's two parts to her, as with most people, but let's keep our focus on demons. For example: Inuyasha is an asshole. Doesn't matter if you like his character or not, he's a butthole and we all know it. Because he has a strong sense of demon pride. He's old, experienced a lot of backlash from humans and demons alike, and he's an asshole because it's how he protects himself. But god damn it, someone even looks at his friends wrong, he is right up someone's asshole with a torch ready to light it on fire.

There's two sides to him. Asshole, and overprotective friend.

Now take into account Kasumi's history for a second. She's never been allowed to act like a child. Ever. The times she has have been sparse and sporadic and has gotten her into trouble and at times gotten her out of it too.

Now, think about Shippo. How old do you think he is, exactly? Some sources say fifty, some say seven. But let's take into account how long it can take a demon to age, and Shippo is a full fledged demon. He looks seven, acts seven, but whose to say he isn't actually fifty?

Kasumi is 18 right about now. Physically. Doesn't change the fact that half of her is fox and the other half is only 18 years old.

Now I know, in the series we don't have a point of reference, so because of that, I'm coming up with my own theory. How long do you think it took Inuyasha to mature? And if you think about it, he's still pretty immature, but that I'm sure has to do with the no parenting thing after Izayoi died. So who is to say that Kasumi can't have the body of an 18 year old, the trained mannerisms and professionalism of a noblewoman (because let's face it, there has to be some part of her that holds the human maturity she was taught growing up), and still on occasion have the sporadic, perhaps even instinctual need to act like a seven year old? In the very first chapter, if you recall, Kasumi is 14 and It clearly says in there she still sometimes behaves like a seven year old.

So again, we come back to the big question: have you actually seen a child or been around one long enough to figure out they can "act out of character"? Because, let's face it. You can have the sweetest child, the kindest child, the most well behaved child, and there's always going to be a moment where they don't act themselves. Because they experience emotions differently than adults do, because they are kids, and feeling those emotions and expressing them is what they are supposed to do.

Now, after all this, I really hope you don't take offense to my blunt response. I will admit of course there's not a whole lot of clarity in this, and I hope that this chapter, and this response to your review sheds some light for you and makes it easier to understand. And I will say this one more time just so you're aware... IM NOT MAD FOR CRITICISM I PROMISE. I need stuff like that because I have idiot friends who only tell me nice things. Granted neither one of them reads a whole lot...

but reviews like yours is what drives me. Because I didn't even have an idea for this chapter till I read your review, so thank you, for the inspiration. I appreciate it, I really do.


	15. Chapter 15: The Inu Lords Intended

Chapter Fifteen: The Inu Lords Intended

* * *

The next morning, Kasumi awoke to the sounds of men fighting outside her room, yet again. She groaned her awareness, turning onto her side, facing away from where the open window that allowed light and noise poor into her sleeping mind. Try as she might, however, the clang of metal against metal rang loud through her ears, jostling her awake enough she finally sat up.

"Those boys…" She growled lowly, flinging her fathers haori from her futon. She stood up, and walked to the window and stuck her head out of it.

Blinding hot sun seared her eyes for a brief moment, and then the orange huge hue of the rising sun blanketed the waning hours of the evening sky into blues and orange and red. The splash of color awed her enough her annoyance settled, and she watched quietly as the sun slid over the manor. She smiled at the sight, resting on her window sill, admiring the colors mingle and merge until only the blue sky was present, with the bright yellow of the burning orb above them.

"M'lady?" Usui's voice came to Kasumi's ears and the fox leaned away from the window to look back at her court lady. "What are you doing hanging out of the window?"

"Oh, I was uhm…" She trailed off, cheeks burning with her embarrassment. "I-I was watching the sky change colors." She spoke quietly, and Usui walked over to the window and peered out herself.

The oni* didn't see any colors outside worth watching, but did see the house soldiers training out in the yard, swords clashing against swords, some using magic, others using fists. Some were leering over at the lady's window, and when they saw Usui peering through it now, they swiftly looked away. She grumbled and quickly slammed the window shut and looked down at the embarrassed fox.

"M'lady! Staring at the men while they train! How unbecoming of a lady of your stature. What would m'lord say if he were to discover you were watching the young ones train?" Usui chastised, her hands on her hips, and Kasumi's face instantly went more red.

"I-I wasn't staring at those hooligans! They woke me up at the crack of dawn, I planned on yelling at them when I got distracted by the sunrise. And who cares what Lord Sesshomaru says?" She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and turning away from her court lady.

"M'lord has named you his intended, its rude of you to stare at other demons when you have a lord like he as your intended." Usui proceeded to chastise her, and Kasumi flung her hands up into the air and walked over to her futon, sitting down.

"And yet no one here will tell me what that even means." She said, grumpily looking away from the window and court lady.

Usui watched her, slightly amused by her lady's behavior, but knew better than to mention it. She had her moments where she acted like a pouting child, but as she learned more about the young lady, she quickly learned the type of childhood she had lived until now, and allowed her certain freedoms. One of them of course being how much of a picky eater she was. She didn't like most things she was given, but after the meal she had with Sesshomaru last night, she added boar to her lady's favorite foods. She was happy to know she at least ate something.

"Now, m'lady, lets get you dressed for the day-" As she said the words, Kasumi's bedroom door slid open to reveal the inulord.

Sesshomaru stared out over the two girls, his eyes eventually settling onto the kit. She looked ruffled, her dark hair in a slight disarrayed mess, her green eyes shimmering even though they were still filled with sleep. Her ears were folded back, and her arms fell from her chest as she uncrossed her arms.

 _He's staring so intently,_ Usui mused, watching in amazement as her lord gazed at the fox. Her eyes shifted towards Kasumi and giggled at the sight. _She's staring just as intently._ It was as if they didn't even realize Usui was in the room. _It seems m'lord Sesshomaru has taken an astute liking to the young lady._ Usui slowly slipped deeper into the room, moving to prepare Kasumi's clothes when the young kit shrieked. She poked her head out of the wardrobe just in time to see the fox throw her feather pillow at the lord, and for him to slice it up with his claws.

Angered, he growled at the girl, prepared to reprimand for harming his ears, when he saw her attempting to cover herself up beneath her fathers robes.

"Get out!" She ordered. "I'm not dressed! What kind of Lord comes in a young lady's room when she's not even prepared to greet him!" She yelled, shrinking into herself and hiding beneath the robes.

"You should have been dressed and ready by now," Sesshomaru growled at her, and the girl glanced towards the window before down at the floor at his feet.

"I-I got distracted…" She muttered softly. Sesshomaru had to keep his laughter under control at her quiet admittance.

"Then hurry up and get dressed, you'll be joining me for a morning meal. Today, I will be showing you around the house, and you'll begin to learn what your duties here will be." Sesshomaru turned to leave, and then stopped himself, looking at her over his shoulder. "Oh, and wear this," he tossed a kimono out to her, and it landed softly onto her lap. It was an exact replica of his own haori, except was made more for a woman of her size. She looked up to ask him why, but the man had already parted.

She held the robe up to her nose, and lightly sniffed the brocade like fabric. _It smells like him…_ The smell was a warm musk of woods and sun, tingling her nose with the earthly scent. She held it to her chest, and sat there a while longer before eventually standing to get herself dressed.

Half dazed from the unusual gift from Sesshomaru, Kasumi allowed Usui to force layer after layer over her thin kosode. She was so used to being dressed while half asleep, she didn't even notice the amount of layers being put onto her. And how did she miss the hakama pants? She looked at Usui, who was focused on making sure all of Kasumi's layers were displayed nicely, completely unfazed by the kit's confusion.

"Usui… do you mind explaining to me what you're putting on me?" Kasumi eventually asked.

"You're spending the day with m'lord. I'm dressing you appropriately for a noblewoman." Usui informed her, and Kasumi frowned, and motioned towards her attire.

"Then why am I wearing this?" She gestured to her entire outfit, and Usui looked at her finally, seeing the confusion in the kit's eyes.

"What's wrong with it? All high class women wear it." Usui tilted her head to the side, wondering just what exactly was confusing about it. From what she knew, Lady Kasumi was a noblewoman from a human house. Did they not dress formally?

"Usui… Noblewomen don't wear hakama's anymore. It's outdated. They stopped doing that hundreds of years ago." Kasumi informed her, and Usui's expression contorted into confusion herself.

"Why not? Most demon courtesans wear them." Usui questioned and Kasumi gave a deep sigh and tugged the red hakama's up, tugging up the edges from around her feet.

"This is why. They drag onto the floor, and get filthy. A dirty noblewoman isn't a refined one, women stopped wanting to worry about tripping over these in addition to these many layers." She dropped the hakama and looked back up at the girl, only to gesture to the twelve layers she was in. "It drags behind the other layers, it makes it difficult to walk in."

Usui pursed her lips, dismissing Kasumi's explanation with a wave of her hand. "Demoness don't have to worry about that. Much to graceful, wouldn't you agree?" She asked, and Kasumi just shook her head and sighed. With her defeat, Usui slid on the final piece, Sesshomaru's haori and took a moment to look over the lady.

"There," Usui said softly, a sweet smile on her lips that Kasumi began to recognize as her show of happiness. "You look like a proper lady dressed like this. Not that you don't always, m'lady… but the karaginumo* style suits you quite nicely." She examined her blushing lady, and smiled to herself. The style may be old fashioned to the kit, but the colorful robes layered beneath the brocade robe Sesshomaru had given her was beautifully placed, turning Kasumi into a rainbow of various shades of red and white. Her dark hair cascaded in an elegant waterfall down her back, her bangs shaping her pretty face, which had gained color and fullness since she came to them. "Now, we have one more thing to add…" She turned around and began to look through a chest by Kasumi's wardrobe. She took the moment of distraction to admire herself in her reflection, finding herself agreeing with her court lady more than she thought she would. With her hair in the taregami* style, the dark tresses looped over her shoulders, some of it sliding down the length of her arm, covering the markings over her outer robe.

"Found it!" Usui spoke loudly, and Kasumi turned her attention away from her reflection to look at her.

"What did you find, Usui?" Kasumi asked, and the oni excitedly hurried back to her lady and presented her with a closed folding fan*, with a long red and white chord wrapped around the wooden guard. She brushed her thumb over the smooth, dark wood and over the silken chords and slowly unraveled the fan, carefully sliding it open.

She felt a smile tug at her lips. "Is this another gift from Lord Sesshomaru?" She asked. The leaf of the fan was wooden as well, stained white, and a simple cherry blossom stretched across the length of the fan, with pink blossoms blooming on the branches, some of the petals scattered across the length of the leaves. It certainty seemed to match Sesshomarus theme of cherry blossoms, but the gentle simplicity of the design touched her heart more than she thought it could.

"M'lord wishes everyone to know who you are to him. The colors… the symbols, even the smells, m'lady. All so that no one here will harm you." Usui explained softly, but Kasumi only seemed confused by her words, not understanding Sesshomaru had to… has been publically claiming her before he announced her.

"He seems to have taken great strides in assuring I won't be harmed here. For someone you claim to be terrifying, Usui, he's… rather caring. Isn't he?" Kasumi looked up at Usui, and the oni flushed a little.

"I'm afraid you're wrong, m'lady. Lord Sesshomaru isn't a kind demon at all. He's actually quite vicious here. He's known for killing men from time to time because they annoyed him too much. We were all quite grateful when he left for his travels, and he hardly returns home." She paused a moment, watching Kasumi, but the kit hid her expressions well. "He only behaves this way around you, m'lady. In fact… he's stayed here with you for three months. He never stays longer than a week here."

 _So this behavior of his is unusual…_ Kasumi mused to herself, finally rewrapping her fan and motioning for Usui to continue her job. The court lady straightened and opened the door.

* * *

Silence passed between the two of them as they ate their morning meal. This time around, Sesshomaru had gone and caught her something that was lighter on the stomach, pheasant. He watched, pleased to see her eat for him when she wouldn't eat for anyone else. He hardly touched his own food, and by the time she had finished, his had gone cold. He barely registered the temperature when he finally did eat, tearing his gaze away from the kit girl to his meal. Usui had done well to prepare the girl in her attire, and he enjoyed seeing her in his colors. Red suited her nicely, it was a color the amplified the girls' natural serenity, perhaps even the quiet strength he sometimes saw in her eyes. Strength and peace. Red, and white. The colors complimented her and her personality elegantly.

"Did you enjoy your meal?" Sesshomaru asked her, and Kasumi nodded her head, keeping her gaze down cast.

"Yes, my lord." She responded, nodding her head.

He growled a little at her quiet response and stood up. He walked over to her and pulled her up by the arm. He surprised her enough she squeaked, but it didn't stop him from leading her away from her rooms and out into the open hall. He heard her suck in a breath, either in shock or fear, he couldn't place it, but with the way she smelled, there was a hint of an excitement in there as well.

He released her arm and started walking away from her, and she hurried to keep up, walking behind him a few paces. They went down a few halls without running into anyone, and she wondered how many people lived in his estate, for it to be as empty as it was. That thought was quickly squashed however when they turned into a hallway lined with guards. Kasumi marveled at their shiny armor and unique weapons. More than that, she could sense each one of them was a different type of demon. Some were uniquely colored, blues or greens, but most were tan or pale skinned, and looked more human than the others.

"Keep up," Sesshomaru said, and Kasumi hurried up to stand directly behind Sesshomaru. He looked down at her, and pulled her to his side, and she looked up at him, her face impossibly warm. "I'll make this clear to you now, girl." He said, and she swallowed at his deep voice. He suddenly sounded strict with her, she wasn't used to it, but it wasn't at all scary to her like it probably should have been. As she glanced at some of the guards within ear shot, she knew she was right about her assumption. Some of them had the rigidness of fear in their stances. "You walk beside me, never behind me. You are the Lady of the House, you are my intended, and an intended does not linger behind her lord. She stays next to him, walks with him. She doesn't follow him around like a lost pet." She turned her gaze down, embarrassed when she felt his cool fingers on her chin, tilting her face up. "And don't look down." He said sternly, and Kasumi had to force her eyes to remain glued to his.

"B-but, my lord-" She started be he silenced her with a look.

"I don't care what you were taught." He said. "I don't care what others say. When you speak to me, you meet my eyes. Everyone else should look down when speaking to you, not the other way around. You are higher than them, and you are mine to do with as I want. And I want you to look at me when we talk. Always." For some reason, it irritated him that she looked down when she addressed him formally. It was a show of humbleness, he knew, and was required by most ladies to trail behind her lord and look down as her lord addressed her, but meekness was something that didn't suit his intended. He liked it when she met his eyes and spoke to him like she would Usui, even with the times she said something she shouldn't have. He could smell her discomfort, her fear and anxiety. Each negative emotion tainting her sense into something that disgusted him.

"My lord… I-I can't do something like that…" She said softly, tearing her gaze from him only for him to force her to look at him once more.

"You are my intended," he said strictly. "You are my equal, not a subordinate."

She pressed her rosy lips together in a thin line, her eyes shimmering with uncertainty, but the taint of her negative emotions was slowly dying down. "I will obey, my lord, only if you tell me what it means to be an intended." She said, her sudden uncertainty fading into the stubborn kit he saw too often.

"It means, when you are old enough, I will make you my mate." He said slowly, watching the color drain from her face with an amused gleam in his golden eyes.

"Y-you're what…?" She stammered, and he let her go. She stumbled a little, her eyes turning to the floor to try and hide her shock and embarrassment.

"Now, we have things to do," he walked off again, stopping only when she wasn't following and he turned to look at her. "Now, kit, before I lose my patience with you."

"I-I… Y-yes, my lord." She hurried over to him, and stood by his side, walking only when he started to leave again. She was all too aware of the eyes following them down the hall.

Sesshomaru showed her around to the most important areas, places she would like spend the most time in once she was fully taught. She was able to remember each path he lead her down, and told herself she wouldn't cause trouble by getting lost because she wasn't paying attention. As they walked around the estate, she became distinctly aware of how many people actually lived in it, and how large it really was. Her home had been a main house like this one, but it was subpar in comparison to the grand structure, to the land even. The amount of lesser demons within the estate astounded her, but she reminded herself that they had to be the working class for the house. People who did the cleaning and cooking and repairing, pretty much kept the entire house above ground. She noted, as they walked past a group of whispering women, that they weren't very well trained servants. They bowed their heads to them as they walked past, but Kasumi could feel their gazes once they were at their backs. Curiosity bested everyone, but it certainly wasn't the first impression one should leave on the Lady of the House. The only place that stuck out the most to her was the gardens.

She was surprised to see the modern strolling garden. She expected something ancient, like her clothing, but was pleasantly pleased to see the large pond, the vibrant blue waters. The terribly tall trees that practically blanketed the entire area, and the specks of unblossomed cherry trees.

"Back home, we had a garden like this." She said softly, staring at the garden from the doorway. "I used to call it my garden… but of course, it wasn't really mine. It was fathers… as he made quite clear when he destroyed my caretakers pagoda." She breathed in the clean air deeply, releasing it slowly. Sesshomaru listened to her intently, intrigued to learn more about the kit. "I grew up in those gardens. It was the only place I was allowed to play outside." She smiled tenderly. "I used to climb the trees we had. And we had all sorts of them, but my favorite was always the peach tree. It was special. Father asked mother to marry him under a tall peach tree. When she moved into his estate, she planted a peach seed in the garden. My caretaker said it was her favorite fruit." She giggled a little, Sesshomaru shivering slightly at the melodic sound. "Father even changed the symbols of our house to peach blossoms to make her happy. When she died, the garden didn't get taken care of as often. I think I was about four when I told my father I was adopting it, and I made it my own play area." She remembered the white sand that felt like silk on her feet, the dewy grass filling the area with its scent. The cool blue water of her koi pond, her colorful koi. It didn't matter to her it was small. Barely even enough room to stroll through. "We had tsubaki's*, sumire*, momo* of course, sakura*, sakurasou*… In the springtime, it was so full of color it was almost blinding sometimes. I asked father to get me a seed of each plant, and on my birthday he would gift me what I asked for. I'd plant it till my color was vibrant with color."

"Why spring flowers…?" Sesshomaru questioned, and she looked up at him with a sweet smile.

"I was born at the beginning of spring. Father named me pure blossom. The first blossom of the season." She explained.

"For a man that wasn't your father… he named you appropriately." Sesshomaru commented, his eyes on the garden he honestly thought was boring.

"What do you mean, my lord?" Kasumi asked, and he looked down at her for a few moments.

"Despite what you have been through, you still manage to be pure in everything. It would be disturbing on anyone else, however, you continue to baffle me with the amount of surprises you throw at me."

Kasumi's cheek warmed and she looked back at the garden, only to have an excuse not to look up at him. This was definitely not the lord Usui feared. He was far too kind in his words and addressment to her.

"My lord, why are you-"

"I will be leaving in a few days." He cut her off before she could finish, and she looked up at him to see him gazing out at the gardens. "I've spent too much time here. I have things to do outside the estate, and I need you here to keep things running for me. I will return at least once a month to check on you and your studies. When you have learned more, I will give you more responsibilities. Usui will act as your personal court lady as she has been so far, but if you require more, simply ask. If anyone is to give you trouble, you send someone to me right away, and I will handle the issue. You don't need to worry about the politics of the house while I'm away." He finally turned to face her, and was giving her a serious look. He would just let his work pile up until he absolutely had to finish the paper work and the dealings of everyone and their crap. He wished he could hoist this responsibility onto someone else as well, but knew better than that.

"When will you leave, my lord?" She asked softly, and he smelled sadness from her, but it wasn't nearly as repulsive as it had been the first time he smelled it on her. It was bitter to his nose, but there was hint of sweetness in the smell that told him she was sad about him leaving.

"Two days from now. You will have access to the kitchen to cook your own foods to your liking if you prefer, but you will eat. If I return to see you haven't been eating…" He didn't have to say more and she nodded quickly in understanding. "Good. Now, lets go talk about those noisy guards you mentioned earlier…" He said softly and motioned for her to walk with his hand, and the two left the gardens.

* * *

Oni: Ogre! Or troll whichever but it's mainly used to reference an ogre. So yes, our cute soft spoken Usui is actually an ogre

Karaginumo: Also known as jūnihitoe which literally translate into twelve unlined robes. A lot of rich courtesans wore this style in the Heianera (794 - 1185 A.D.). The sengoku period in which the inuyasha time line takes place is 1467 - 1603 A.D. So the fashion sense is in deed outdated. If you need help picturing the jūnihitoe fashion, think of Inuyasha's mother Izayoi, her kimono style is this style. Hakamas are traditionally worn with this style.

Taregami: This one is pretty simple. All it is is a straight hair style with a part in the middle. Long hair styles like this typically had purposeful loops that framed around the face or hung around the shoulders and arms

Folding fan: I'm sure all of you know what a folding fan but the folding fan is actually essential to the jūnihitoe style. It's not a requirement, but it was used to hide a court lady's face and her expressions and all that other stuff (think of Mulan two if you ever seen it when the three princesses are constantly holding up their fans). Some women used the sleeve of their kimono as well to cover their face... I'm sure some of you may have noticed that in the manga/anime (pretty sure its in one of them if not both). If the fan isn't being used, its typically wrapped up in a thick chord or rope

tsubaki: Cameila flowers

sumire: Violets

momo: Peach Blossoms (Momo means Peach)

sakura: Cherry blossoms

sakurasou: Primula sieboldii, which is a japanese primrose

* * *

 **AN:** If I missed anything, let me know! And as always, thanks for the support!


	16. Chapter 16: The Prison of a Lady

******IMPORTANT NOTICE PLEASE READ BEFORE THE CHAPTER******

 **AN: Fair warning to all reviewers. To keep the reviews from being filled with arguments or disagreements, I'm going to say this now. DO NOT TELL ME WHO TO IGNORE. Despite my sometimes lacking maturity, I am an adult and can make my own decisions, and I do not need you or anyone else to tell me who I should or should not take seriously. I appreciate you all trying to help, I really do, and don't take me comments about this the wrong way, but I can handle sorting through what I think is valuable and what isn't. So please, I'll stress this, keep the reviews about the story, not about other peoples reviews. If it continues, I will either report the comment for abuse, or I will just post this story else where, where comments and reviews can be removed. **

**With that said, I will try and make some clarifications now. The story is meant to be a slow paced romance, but fast paced in regards to feelings and emotions. I will not elaborate on this, as I think that will just give away my intentions for this story. If my plot seems confusing to you, then I apologize, but again, it will make more and more sense the more the story progresses (hopefully. What may make sense to me might not mean it will to you but I will try my best). I'd like to leave some confusing mystery going on here (no its not a mystery based story, but I'm not going to tell you whats going on in the story either hence a mystery). Now, onto the story:**

 **Edit: Forgot to add this, but WhoamI2Judge07, this one is for you. I want to thank you very much in the brief amount of help you gave me. In no way have you (or even the guest reviewer) offended me. After the talk through pm, I was very discouraged and planned on going on a hiatus, but I can't seem to do that. As I said before, I've never had an advisor, or mentor before, and have perfected my writing by own merits since I started getting into fan fiction and story telling in middle school (in my final stages of college now). You have me brief instructions on how I can improve, and that's more anyone has ever been able to do for me and that means a lot, I can't even fully express it. While I may have been discouraged, I want to try my best to improve even more. I hope that if and when you see this, you watch me improve and grow more, and if possible, point out any flaws or holes you see in the story so I can fix them. Even if you chose not to do so, to anyone out there willing to help me even if they are short criticisms or long ones, your help is valuable to me, and means more to me than any of you realize. I will not always put an author note at the beginning a chapter, I know my responses are long winded and wordy, but I will try and put a small note at the top of each chapter indicating whether or not I want you all to read it because I believe it's important for it to be read.**

* * *

"Speaking"

 _Thoughts/memories/dreams (use context clues)_

Asterix ( * ) special term words, (definition at the end of the chapter)

* * *

Chapter Sixteen: The Prison of a Lady

* * *

 _"A lady of the house must always be on the alert and keep a strict watch over her own conduct." Kyah's warm voice filled the empty garden, wrapping around the child Kasumi, as she stared up at her expectantly._

 _"Kyah," Kasumi interrupted, scooting over to the middle aged woman and pointing to a character on her book. "What does that mean?"_

 _"That's conduct." Kyah explained. "It's another word for behavior."_

 _"Then how come it doesn't just say behavior?" She looked back up at her caretaker, and Kyah chuckled at the girl. Nearly ten years old, and she still questioned everything._

 _"Well, I'm not sure dear. Doesn't it sound more fancy to you?" She asked, and laughed loudly when the young princess's face turned sour. "Look at the way the characters flow together." She explained, moving her finger over the characters of the text. "It's like art, isn't it? But watch, if you write the character for behavior," as she spoke, she retraced the text and replaced conduct with behavior. The sour look on Kasumi's face contorted further._

 _"It looks funny that way." She said._

 _"Exactly. So the words flow more nicely together like this, don't you agree? It's prettier this way." Kasumi looked up at Kyah, with a wide grin on her face and moved to sit onto her lap, making herself comfortable._

 _"Much prettier!" She exclaimed. She felt Kyahs hand on her head, and the tender touch of her kiss on her hair._

 _"Good, now lets continue, shall we? Your father wants you to memorize this before your birthday next week."_

* * *

Kasumi's eyelids slowly parted, a heavy set in them as she woke from her sleep. She felt cold liquid running down the corner of her eyes, and she quickly swiped it away with the sleeve of her kimono. She sat up slowly, looking around her dark room. Empty, as it always was, with its very little furniture and decorations, and its plain walls and doors.

"Kyah…" She breathed the woman's name, smiling sweetly at the memory her dream had brought her. It had been a long time since she had a comforting dream about her. There was no denying she still felt the sting of pain at the thought of her death, but the soul crushing grief she felt over her lost was diminishing slowly, enough so she could remember some of the good things without crying herself to sleep.

As if with a new resolution in her heart, she got out of her futon and crawled on hands and knees over to the window. She slid it open, eyes darting across the courtyard where the men trained, and was pleased to see it empty. Sesshomaru's stern talking to the young ones had done the trick.

"It wasn't really a stern talking to though, was it?" She laughed softly at the memory of their walk the other day. There was no real talking done. He showed up, with her in tow. All he had to do to announce his annoyance at their loudness was reveal his presence. She could see the intimidated looks in the eyes of the young men, not used to seeing their lord, but knowing of his fury and anger, and how exactly he intended to deal with those who made him angry. "They conceded before he uttered a word… It's like they knew they were doing something wrong." She laughed again, and her eyes went skywards. "It's not even dawn yet…"

The sky above the manor was a cool black, stars glittering and gleaming overhead. It was calming to her to see such a clear sky. There was still a soft glow of the moon fading into the distance, signaling the end to a peaceful night, and dragging forth a warm day. She couldn't see it with her position, but she suspected, just based off of how far down the moon was that sunlight had to be seeping into the black sky. The sun was a brush, and the sky was its canvas, painting it into an array of colors. She closed her eyes, picturing the mixtures of orange and yellow, swiping away the stars to make way for the sun.

"'In the morning she must rise early and at night go late to rest'," Kasumi quoted the text Kyah had read to her as a child. With that, she pushed herself away from the window, and turned to face her room.

She was still wearing the robes from a few days ago, finding it much easier than having to redress herself every day, wasting precious time she could use to do something else. "I can't clean in this…" She muttered, and started shredding the layers, dropping each one onto the floor starting with Sesshomarus robe. When she wore only the red hakama and white haori, she was satisfied enough.

"Usui is going to get mad at me for this, I'm sure." She mused, but smiled. She could picture the disapproving look on her face, and it made her happily think of Kyah. She gathered up the robes and properly hung them up in her wardrobe, displaying each one nicely before snatching up Sesshomaru's robe and slipping it on. "At least, with this, people will know who I am…" She hesitated a moment, unsure of herself. "She must be intent on the duties of her household." As she spoke the words, her uncertainty was shoved down and she quickly left the room in search of something she can use to clean this wing of the house.

As she cleaned around the wing, she approached a room she had never seen before. She didn't spend much time exploring the area till today, and the doors to the room were intriguing and unusual. The doors were a deep shade of blue, heavily stitched, clearly not made out of paper. It depicted an evening sky over a lake, with a large full moon at its center, split down the middle where the doors opened. It reflected over the painted lake, the yellow and blue colors flowing together like water, stars sprinkled around the large moon. The door itself was an art piece, and she placed her hand on the wood frame, clawed fingers skimming the smooth texture. Something sparked, and she felt something rumble within her and she quickly withdrew her hand, holding it to her chest as if the door had offended her somehow. Standing near it made her nervous, touching it seemed to ignite something in her beast she couldn't place.

"I thought… I had the whole wing to myself…" She trailed off, looking at the door. She shuddered, withdrawing from the door and taking a step back. "Whose… room is this…?" She asked the air. She stayed staring at it for a few minutes longer before her stomach interrupted her contemplation. Her cheeks warmed, and she placed her hand on her belly as it growled at her. "Is it breakfast time already…?" She sighed and turned away from the door, still curious as to what lay behind the doors, but almost too fearful to enter.

* * *

Morning sun poured into the kitchens, lighting up the overcrowded space with its warm glow. Kasumi was stirring an iron pot, looking down into it with a happy gleam in her eyes. She stood back, grabbing a wooden spoon, and sipping on the miso soup.

"Perfect…" her eyes gleamed at her creation and she was prepared to turn around and handle the fish, just as someone entered the kitchen.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing in here?!" She squeaked loudly as a large, blue skinned oni came into the kitchen, an angry look on his face. "In here stealing food, you little half breed?!" He exclaimed, and came at her full swing, raising his arm to hit her.

Kasumi screamed, grabbing the mans arm to stop him from hitting her. "I-I'm not stealing food! I'm Lord Sesshomaru's guest!" She exclaimed.

"And what the hell would a noblewoman like you have to do in the kitchen, you lying little thief."

"I-I'm not lying, really! Lord Sesshomaru said I could use the kitchens to feed myself! Please I promise you, I'm not a thief." She pleaded, and the angry ogre growled his distaste at her.

"Papa!" Usui's voice came through the growling and pleas, and both Kasumi and the oni looked over at her. "What are you doing on top of Lady Kasumi?!" She demanded, prying the man she called father off of Kasumi.

The kit breathed a sigh of relief, sitting up and resting her hand on her chest.

"Usu, you know this thief?" The oni said, pointing to Kasumi.

"I'm not a thief!" Kasumi yelled, her fox fire burning around her a he insulted her once more.

"Papa!" Usui smack her father in the head, earning a groan of disapproval from him and he rubbed his head with his hand. "Lady Kasumi is not a thief, she's m'lord's intended."

"This little half whelp?" He threw a thumb back at Kasumi, and the fox growled.

"I'm not a whelp!" She yelled at him, but she was currently being ignored by both Oni.

"Yes! You caused a great offense to m'lord, pinning down his intended like that. Papa, you know better. Now apologize to her at once." She scolded, and the old man grumbled.

"Yeah, sorry…" He huffed, and then felt his daughter's tiny hand on his head, forcing him to bow down while she bowed as well.

"Please pardon my father's rudeness, m'lady." Usui said.

Kasumi huffed, and then smiled at the two of them. "It's okay, Usui. It was an honest mistake."

"Honest mistake?" She laughed as she stood straight. "Even though you're wearing m'lords robes?" She turned her brow up, and Kasumi flushed.

"I-It had to have been hard for him to see with my hair in the way…" She scratched her neck, even though she had her hair pulled back with a silk string while she cooked.

Usui giggled at her lady. "This is my father, Onaga. He's the cook."

"It's an honor to meet you, Onaga." She bowed to him, smiling sweetly enough it caused the large ogre to flush himself, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's an honor meeting you, Lady Kasumi." Onaga bowed his head low. "I feel bad for what I did, please, allow me to make your food for you."

"Oh, no, please, allow me. I've already started making breakfast, I would like to continue, if you wouldn't mind. I have enough I could make something for you and Usui."

"I can't allow that, it would be rude of us to do that, m'lady." Usui cut in but Kasumi looked at her with the same sweet smile.

"It would be even more rude to refuse me, Usui, please allow me to make you breakfast." Kasumi countered. The two oni stared at one another before sighing their defeat.

* * *

The glow of the sun peeked through Sesshomaru's bedroom window, beaming straight down onto the inulord who slumbered on his bed. With a low groan he sat up, pushing his hand through his hair before he stood up. He still needed to talk to the cook about Kasumi being allowed inside the kitchens to make her own meals, he needed to talk to him before she woke up. He had put it off for the last few days, making preparations for her studies, in addition to spending his free time with her. He dressed himself, opened the door to his bedroom and was immediately pummeled by the scent of her fear. He sniffed a couple times, following the trail she left behind till he came across the kitchen.

"No!" He could hear Kasumi scream. He slammed the door open, only to see Kasumi leaning over her food tray, her chopsticks on Onaga's plate, a piece of trout trapped between the utensil. Onaga had a mouth full of food, his eyes wide when he saw Sesshomaru entered, and the sense of merriment that had filled the room was gone, replaced by a tense silence. He closed his eyes, breathing out slowly before he opened them again to look at the kit.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" She spoke excitedly, sitting up straight. She picked something up with her chopsticks and then hurried over to him, her hand under the morsel in case it fell. "Try this!" She exclaimed. "I made it the way the cook back home showed me. It's really good."

He stared down at her, wondering how she could be so excited this early in the morning. It was barely even six am. He looked at the other two, who were trying their best to not look at them, but it was clear they were watching from the corner of their eyes. His golden gaze settled back onto the kit, her tail wagging excitedly, her ears perked up happily, and her eyes wide and round and full of her cheer. He didn't want to be rude, so he leaned forward and opened his mouth, taking the morsel. She squeaked as he chewed, and he tried focusing on the flavors of the trout. A tartness enveloped his tongue, but it wasn't unpleasant as it mixed with the fishy taste and texture. When he swallowed the piece, he didn't miss anyones expectance for his response to the tart fish.

"It's tart," he pointed out, and Kasumi nodded, still smiling.

"It's cymbopogon*, I rubbed it onto the trout before I cooked it and let it soak in it too." She explained. "Did you like it?" She asked.

He didn't respond to her, not out of distaste, but he didn't really want to tell her he didn't typically care if his food had flavor or not. But as he looked down at her, watching her expectant looking face, he had no idea how to respond to her. Eventually, he smiled slightly - or at least what Kasumi called a smile on him - and placed his hand on her head, rubbing the space between her ears. He smelled her embarrassment and pride before he saw it on her cheeks, turning her a rosy shade of red.

"I made you something to eat too, my lord, will you sit with us and eat?" She asked, moving to prepare his tray without waiting for his response. She set it down right next to hers and looked up at him.

He stood there, watching her. The other two seemed fearful, and he could clearly tell they didn't want him to sit with them. His gaze slid over to the kit, who was pausing in her pursuit of food to look at him.

"My lord?" She asked, and he moved finally, sitting beside her and quietly eating. Once he had taken the first bite, the other two felt it was okay to continue eating. Kasumi seemed to be the only one unaware of the tense atmosphere as she ate, and though lately he's enjoyed watching her eat his food, he tried to show some enjoyment in hers. It was surprisingly easy for him. Each bite he took was an assortment of flavors he never bothered experiencing before. It was easy for him to say now that he enjoyed her cooking, but he kept his expression placid, perfectly aware of their audience. It was bad enough he forgot about the guards in the hallway the other day, he didn't exactly want everyone else to see him act differently just because she was around. As he thought more on it, he couldn't explain or understand why he was different around her, even he noticed changes. He enjoyed her company - which he unfortunately made obvious subconsciously - her little quirks, even the smell she gave off. As he considered more, he came to the realization that he was specifically drawn to her scent. He could probably pick it out no matter what other scent surrounded her, and when did he have the ability to smell someone's emotions? He stopped eating, racking through his brain for an explanation. While true most demons could smell fear on their prey, it wasn't the same as the smell he got from her. Her fear made him sick, and it felt as if it rotted his nose. He didn't like it, and he preferred the sweet scent she gave off now. He looked down at her, watching her eat as more occurrences came to him. She felt protected around him, even when she barely knew him, and had warmed up to him right away. His constant desire to watch her eat to ensure she was healthy, the strong desire to hunt for her. He wasn't the same around her; the constant irritation he felt beneath the surface of his skin, his beast trying to come out of him was calm around her. He barely even noticed the beast now, he could feel its quiet hum within him, but the calmness he portrayed wasn't a façade now.

"My lord…?" Kasumi questioned. She was looking up at him now, her ears down. "Do you not like it?"

He looked away from her and started eating again. "It's good." He muttered. He smelled her pride and joy from his admittance and he wondered if she could smell his emotions too.

"When will you leave today, my lord?" Kasumi asked, making idle conversation while the other three sat in their tense silent.

"After this meal," he answered. "I only came here to tell Onaga you were allowed to use the kitchens whenever you wanted to. I didn't expect you to be in it already."

"A lady of the house always rises before everyone else," Kasumi said. "Its what I've been taught, ever since I was a child." She explained. She closed her eyes, picturing the text as if it was right in front of her now "'A lady of the house must always be on the alert and keep a strict watch over her own conduct. In the morning she must rise early and at night go late to rest. Instead of sleeping in the middle of the day, she must be intent on the duties of her household; she must not grow tired of weaving, sewing, and spinning. She must not drink too much tea and wine, nor must she feed her eyes and ears on theatrical performances, ditties*, and ballads.'"

"You remember all that?" Usui asked, surprise in her voice.

"Mhm," Kasumi nodded her head. "It was engrained into my head…" She closed her eyes again, remembering the rest she had been taught when she was older. "'A Lady of the House has no other lord; she must look to her husband as her lord and must serve him with all worship and reverence, not despising or thinking lightly of him. The Way of the woman is to obey her man. In her dealings with her husband, both the expression of her countenance and the style of her address should be courteous, humble, and conciliatory, never peevish and intractable, never rude and arrogant — that should be a woman's first and principal care. When the husband issues his instructions, the wife must never disobey them. In doubtful cases she should inquire of her husband and obediently follow his commands. If her husband ever asks her a question, she should answer to the point; to answer carelessly would be a mark of rudeness. If her husband becomes angry at any time, she must obey him with fear and trembling and not oppose him in anger and forwardness. A woman should look on her husband as if he were Heaven itself and never weary of thinking how she may yield to him and thus escape celestial castigation.'" She opened her eyes and looked at Usui. "I learned those lessons before I turned 14."

"14? Why 14?" Onaga asked.

"Well, back home, if a young girl has reached the age of 14 before she has had her first monthly she is allowed to marry. If her monthly starts earlier, she is married off even younger." Kasumi explained.

"Monthly…?" Usui sounded confused to this.

"You mean; you don't have one?" She asked, ears perked to the side. "You know, the time of the month when a girl… bleeds? It means she has matured into a woman, and can conceive a child."

"Is that a human thing? There's nothing like that for us demons. The worst we females have is going into heat, and that's only for certain species, usually felines and canines. Oni don't experience that."

"Heat…?" She paused, looking up at Sesshomaru, who didn't visibly seem to be paying attention to the conversation. "I haven't experienced anything like that. Although, I suppose I'm a special case. My caretaker and I worried I might never have children. Father hoped marrying me off soon would start something but... well I never did marry. I don't experience the issue all human women have once a month." She always hated that about herself. She was 18, and didn't even have a body capable of giving birth, which as she was taught, was one of her uses in life.

"You don't need to worry about that." Sesshomarus voice broke through the barrier of her moment of sadness, and she again looked at him. The two oni were also curious as to what the inulord had to say, and when he spoke again, he chose his words carefully. "When you are ready, your body will experience whatever it is its meant to. Right now, you don't have to focus on something your body can't do, but on what it is capable of doing. You think you might not have children. There are other things you are able to do. You don't need to have children in order to live."

"While you may think that, Lord Sesshomaru," Kasumi said slowly. "It's always been my duty as a woman. To marry a lord, please him, do everything he asks of me, and bear his children. It's what my father wanted for me. What my caretaker taught me."

"What good is marriage when you're nothing more than his slave?" Sesshomaru questioned. "A husband who treats his wife as his lesser isn't worthy of having her, or her children." He slowly stood up, a little embarrassed with himself for saying what he did. He hid it well on his face, but he feared she suspected what he felt. "Don't ever settle for a man who will treat you as such."

"Then what else am I supposed to do, my lord?" Kasumi asked, looking at her food tray.

"You're still a kit. You have years to figure that out. In the meantime, enjoy yourself while you still can. You may have responsibilities here, but that doesn't change the fact that you are allowed to act your age while here. If anyone treats you differently, then I will take care of them myself."

Kasumi felt unexplained tears pooling into her eyes, and she tried to hold it back, looking down at her lap in her effort. "Y-yes, my lord…" She stammered, swallowing hard.

"Good. Now, you stay here, and be a good little kit until I return next month." He gave her a hard look and she nodded quickly.

"Yes, my lord, of course." She bowed her head to him slightly, still not looking up, and just as the other two began to bow their heads in respect, Sesshomaru was gone.

* * *

Cymbopogon: Lemongrass, it has citral in it which is what makes lemons tart

Ditties: a song, or poem


	17. Chapter 17: The Red String of Fate

Chapter Seventeen: The Red String of Fate

* * *

"Speaking"

 _Thoughts/memories/dreams_

 _'Beast speaking'_

Asterix ( * ) Term word, definition at the end

* * *

Early afternoon blanketed the country side. It was a perfect afternoon, the sun shining high, not a cloud in sight, letting rays of sunlight beam through tree leaves, giving the forest a luminescent green. However, despite the peaceful day, there were no woodland dwellers skittering around the ground.

Jaken was sure there had to be some in hiding. In tree burrows, branches even. Perhaps even hidden in mounds deeper into the tree lines. He glanced up to his lord, who was stoically silent as always, and just like always, didn't tell his faithful servant what they were doing in a forest such as this one. Rin was oblivious to the eerie setting, apparent by her humming and skipping.

 _Such a naïve girl, that Rin is. She has no idea the kind of danger that could be lurking in these woods._ Jaken mused, just as his face met with the back of Sesshomarus leg.

"Ah! F-forgive me, my lord!" Jaken quickly jumped back and proceeded to bow his apologies, but the inulord wasn't even looking down at him. The lords amber gaze was fixated somewhere deep into the forest, seeing something that Jaken wouldn't be able to pick out unless he was right in front of it.

"Rin, stay here with Ah-Uhn," Sesshomaru barely looked at the girl

"Yes, m'lord!" She replied exuberantly, making herself at home with Ah-Uhn laying beside her.

With narrowed eyes, Sesshomaru continued onwards, Jaken following closely behind him.

"Ah… L-lord Sesshomaru, won't you tell me where exactly it is were going…?" Jaken stammered, looking up at Sesshomaru. He expected to be reprimanded in some physical way for asking his lord a question, maybe even just be ignored or glared at. What he didn't expect, was an actual answer.

"In this forest, there is a woman who lives here. It is said that she has vast knowledge about demons, knowledge that is not widely known." Sesshomaru responded. He still had his gaze fixed on an old worn out cabin deep within the settlement of trees. He smelled nothing from it. Sensed nothing from it. No life within it, no smell of a demon, not even a stench of herbs. He wondered briefly if the cabin was truly abandoned but then a foreboding feeling passed through him and he knew then something lurked inside it.

"Why are you seeking this woman out, then my lord? Do you seek knowledge to defeat the nefarious Naraku?" Jaken questioned.

Sesshomaru scoffed, as if offended by the suggestion. "I do not need assistance in dealing with him." He said.

"Then what, pray tell are we doing here then?" Jaken questioned, and Sesshomaru stopped walking long enough to stare down at the toad. He watched with mild amusement as he trembled, fearing the wrath he thought would come to him.

He considered for a moment explaining to the toad his reason for seeking out the woman in the woods, then immediately decided against it. What he didn't know wouldn't make a difference, and Sesshomaru himself wasn't sure what he sought out.

He wanted answers to questions he didn't have. He had questions to things he didn't have questions for yet. So many complications ran through his mind, its core revolving around the kit. She was a complex puzzle to him. On the surface, she was easy to understand. With the basis of his instincts, he understood her, knew what she needed. As he tried looking more into her, the less he understood. He hoped that the old woman in the woods would shed some light.

The two of them approached the cabin, looking the building over before entering. There was a hole in the straw roof, and it caved in at one corner. The wood was old and covered in moss and vines, covering the one window with its vegetation. Standing so close to it, Jaken could smell the mold coming from it, and he made a face of disgust.

He watched his lord lift up the bamboo curtain and enter the worn building, and then swiftly followed his steps. Inside was just as worn and old looking as the outside. The sun was beaming through the hole in the roof, shedding some light onto a shabby, skinny looking woman in the corner of the room. Her aged face sagged under her chin and around her neck, her eyes slanted, pupils barely visible under her heavy lids. She was skinny enough every curve of her bones was visible under her skin, and her hair was like little white wisps that were trying to escape.

"Hohoho…" The woman laughed, looking up at Sesshomaru through her slitted eyes. "An Inu Daiyokai graces me with his presence." She laughed. "What can a withered old woman like myself do for a great demon like you, hm?" She asked, her eyes never wavering from him. Sesshomaru watched her with his gaze narrowed, questioning his reasoning for being here all over again. Her eyes suddenly went wide, and her cackle filled the air tenfold. She was slapping her knee, hunched over. Sesshomaru glared down at her but she seemed fully unaware of his presence as she laughed, and he felt a growl trying to crawl its way up his throat that he shoved down.

"Listen here old woman-" Jaken started, but the old womans voice stopped him.

"The red string of fate has wormed its way around a great demon now, has it?" She laughed again, and Sesshomaru failed to see the amusement in her words, though that might have had something to do with his lack of understanding at her words.

"What are you saying, old woman?" He questioned, not hiding his annoyance from her in his voice.

"The String binds you. You have been tied to someone, someone close to you." She answered, and Sesshomaru found himself even more annoyed by her riddled response.

"Start making sense," he began to threaten, his hand and claws beginning to glow an iridescent green.

The woman didn't seem fazed by the sight of his threat, still sitting in front of him with amusement on her face. "It has been over a hundred years since the red string has tied a daiyokai. Second time it has leashed a mutt." She grinned, showing the gaps in her smile where teeth were missing. He considered her words for a moment, coming to his own conclusion she must be talking about his father. It was his only logical conclusion since there wasn't very many Inu Daiyokai. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, it seems." She looked up at him fully now, her eyes open revealing one black iris with a white pupil, and one white iris with a black pupil. He could barely make out the curved tail of each mark in her eyes under the curve of her sagging eyelid, but he recognized the symbol now.

"This… string," he started, slowly taking her more serious now. "What does it mean?"

"It means you are tied. Leashed to another soul. It's slowly wrapping itself around you. It doesn't seem to have fully tied yet, but it will. Soon." She answered, and Sesshomaru looked away from her, his annoyance again returning at the riddled response.

"I didn't come here for riddles," he said.

"You came for answers. It's not my fault you don't understand them. Such a stupid and naïve young pup." The woman stated, an amused smirk stretching her wrinkles up.

A growl ripped through the air, and suddenly, his poison whip lashed out at the woman, slicing her in two. Jaken squeaked out his surprise, quickly hiding behind his red eyed lord, and peeked out from behind his hakama. They watched as the old womans body slowly dissipated, but there was no blood, no horror scene, the woman was simply not there anymore. He looked up at Sesshomaru, and swallowed hard. The whites of his eyes had turned a fearful blood red, the amber irises morphing into a terrible green, and his teeth had elongated enough they stuck out beneath his lip.

 _Lord Sesshomaru never gets angry enough he starts to change shape,_ Jaken examined, turning his eyes over to where the woman had been sitting not too long ago. _And just what exactly did she mean by the red string of fate? This most definitely doesn't seem good for my lord._

* * *

Rin screamed, her tiny arms held against her chest as Sesshomaru slashed through a giant demon with his whip.

"Help, help, help!" She was squealing, and Jaken watched her, slightly confused. She was clearly not in danger with Sesshomaru around, but as he watched her more, he shook her head in disapproval. She was playing at being scared. She was squealing and yelling for help but there was an air of amusement around her at the actions.

When the demon was dead, Sesshomaru stood there for a moment, just breathing hard. From behind him, Jaken thought his lord seemed exhausted, but as he focused more on him, he soon realized that the beast his lord constantly kept a tight lid on was rearing its head, and was lying just beneath the surface of his skin. His eyes were slowly fading back to their normal hue, and when the color was back, he looked over his shoulder at the still squealing Rin.

"Rin, Jaken, let's go." He ordered and walked away.

Rin immediately shaped up, standing straight. "Yes, my lord!" She declared and quickly ran after him, Ah-Uhn right behind her, and eventually Jaken followed behind the dragon.

The next few days that followed were the same. A demon would come out with the intentions of attacking the group, and Sesshomaru would kill them without hesitation. It wasn't unusual for him to do such a thing. What was unusual was the amount of demons that would come out to attack them, and how easily the inulord seemed to succumb to his more beastly side. Jaken remained fearful for his lord, unsure what it meant for him to so quickly begin to shift with demons as minor as onikuma*. There was hardly any talk about Naraku either, making Jaken suspect that Sesshomaru wasn't thinking about him presently. Rin didn't notice any changes in her lord, which Jaken suspected, and he seemed more and more irritable but tolerated Rin and her minor annoyances. When those few days turned into a few weeks, the changes in him grew worse, and eventually, even Rin couldn't hold his attention anymore. One morning when the group woke up, their lord was gone.

* * *

Utada Hikazemon. Staring at the man now, talking to the kit, sent an anger rumbling through Sesshomaru that he never felt before. He watched as Utada spoke to her, watched the way the kits face light up with pure joy at whatever it was Utada said to her. He couldn't hear anything over the sound of the blood rushing to his head, and he tried to calm himself. He was better than his anger. The last month may have suggested otherwise, but he could control his anger. Even if it seemed he couldn't contain it when it came to the kit.

 _Focus on what they are saying_. He reasoned with himself, and narrowed his eyes towards them, as if it would make his hearing better.

"So you see, my dear, the alpha eats first, then the mate, then the pups, and then the guests. No one must ever eat before the alpha. In this case, the lord of the house." Utada was explaining.

"You mean all this time; I've expressed rude table manners to him?" Kasumi's face paled.

Sesshomaru growled at the sight. _She has no reason to be afraid._ He grumbled.

"No, you haven't been." Sesshomaru chimed in, stepping into the room. All eyes turned to him, as if now realizing he had been standing behind the door, and for the first time, he felt like a stranger in his own home. There were four new court lady's following Kasumi around, intrigued in the kit's lessons, Usui by her side. There were two guards lingering on either side of her as well, and of course the fellow inulord. They all seemed surprised to see him, but there was none of that instant fear he usually got when he entered the room. It's not that he wanted his subjects to fear him, but it seemed the only way any of them were capable of showing respect.

"My lord, you're back already?" Kasumi spoke up, and his attention refocused on the tiny kit. She had her hair up again, revealing her slender neck, and the way it curved into her shoulders, which were hidden beneath plain pink kimonos. She had a smile on her lips that calmed his growing anger, as if it swept through him and cleaned out those emotions.

 _Pink suits her…_ He mused as he admired the way the pink kimonos wrapped around her thin frame. _No, she's not as thin now…_ She was fuller in face, and perhaps a bit in body, but the tiny stick of a girl he brought home wasn't as stick like now.

"I'm happy to see you've returned, my lord." She smiled wider at him, and he felt a twinge in his chest that made him growl audibly in approval. She looked taken aback by the sound, but didn't let it stray her. "I've learned an awful lot while you were gone. I'm so sorry to have behaved so rudely before, my lord…" She trailed off, and he could smell her embarrassment and shame.

He shook his head at her words, instantly dismissing the motion. "I let you eat first, because you are weak, and sickly. You needed to hurry up and get stronger. It was easier to make sure you ate if you went first." He turned his eyes towards Utada, who had a smug look on his withered face.

"Thank you, for worrying about my health, my lord." Kasumi said, but her words fell to deaf ears. The two inu's were staring at one another, locked in a battle of eyes.

Sesshomaru turned away, leaving the room, and Utada followed behind him, slowly.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Lady Kasumi." He said to the kit.

Sesshomaru could hear her smile. "It was an honor, Lord Hikazemon." He could hear shuffling as she bowed to him in departure, and then Utada was outside the room, with the door closed behind him.

"What are you doing here?" Sesshomaru whisked around, cornering the lord. He could feel the anger of his beast trying to rip through him again now that the kit's calming presence was absent. He could smell the slight fear coming off of Utada, but it didn't seem to deter him.

"I came here to once again offer my daughter to you, my lord. As a wife." Utada explained slowly. "I wasn't aware that you had a young lady like that Halfling in there." He pointed towards the room Kasumi was in. Sesshomaru growled again, surprising Utada. "You seem to have taken a liking to that one in there. I hear she's your intended mate."

"A lie I spread," he growled, unable to stop the sound now. It somehow made him angrier at admitting it.

"A lie, you say." Utada said, an inclination in his voice that said he didn't believe a word of it.

"She has only one use for me. Once I have no more use of her, I will dispose of her appropriately." Sesshomaru explained.

 _'Like hell you will!'_ He felt the voice roar through him, and the usually calm inu was replaced by the beast that laid hidden. He grabbed Utada's robes, claws sinking into the cloth and tearing it. He was standing so close to the other lord now, there was no denying the intentions in Sesshomarus eyes. He looked ready to kill.

"You are not a very good liar, my lord." Utada said, prying Sesshomarus fingers from his clothes, walking a little down the hall until he stood in front of the sliding door. "You want to keep the girl and mold her into the perfect wife, don't you? She's young enough, it won't be difficult. She's a half breed. She should be killed, not raised into a mate for a daiyokai like you, my lord. I will happily get rid of her for you and-" His words stopped shortly as clawed fingers cut through his throat, Sesshomaru's red glare beating down on the man.

"You will not threaten what is mine, Utada Hikazemon." He growled. "That girl is mine to do with as I please." He pushed his fingers in deeper until his claws peeked out the back of his neck. He held them there until he could see the life draining from his eyes, and smirked at the sight. "I no longer require your services," he yanked his hand free and Utada's body slowly dropped, revealing behind him a wide eyed kit, Utada's blood splattered onto her cheek and the front of her kimono.

The red in his eyes was gone in a flash as the stench of her fear slammed into him. His mouth was dry as he looked into her wide green eyes, shame and regret filling his being now. She was terrified of him. He took a small step towards her trembling frame, and she quickly turned to the side and ran down the hall, Usui emerging from the room.

"M'lady!" She yelled, not even looking towards her lord and running after the kit. Slowly the four court ladies filed out of the room, walking around the body until they were clear of it and then followed after Kasumi and Usui. Even the guards ran after her. Sesshomaru closed his eyes and sighed loudly, looking down at the dead body and kicking it with his toes.

"Fool, was this your plan all along? Driving a wedge between me and my kit?" He growled, pushing the bottom of his boot against the body until he heard the ribs cracking, and then kicked it away. "Clean this up." He ordered to a nearby servant, and strode off towards his kit's rooms.

He heard her crying before he even reached the family wing of the estate. The same two guards and four ladies were standing outside the archway of the wing, knowing full well they weren't allowed inside. He was pleased at that, not having want anyone in there to console her but himself.

He slowly stopped walking when the thought crossed his mind and he frowned. _Console her?_ He questioned. _Why would I want to console her?_ Frustrated, he turned back around choosing to ignore his instinct to make her feel better in favor of his work. He had more important things to worry about than his kit – _the kit_ and her fragile feelings. Despite how much his decision angered him, he just kept going until he was inside his study.

"Why should I care if she fears me or not?" He wondered aloud.

* * *

Oniukuma: Bear demon

* * *

 **Author Note: Short chapter today, but I hope yall enjoy nonetheless. As always, thank you for the follows and the reviews!**


	18. Chapter 18: Assassination

Chapter Eighteen: Assassination

* * *

Kasumi fiddled with the fabric in her hands, feeling the texture against her palm. It was smooth like silk, and the lines were even and precise. It was a perfect mixture of red and white. She smiled warmly at the sight of the two blossoms next to each other, flowing together in perfect harmony. Peaches and cherry blossoms.

"M'lady, aren't you going to wear it?" Usui asked, watching Kasumi look over the kimono she finished making.

"I will. There's a time and place for things like this, and I want to wear it when he comes back." Kasumi explained, folding the kimono and handing it off to one of her new court ladies to take care of. She looked up at the group that had congregated around her, and a smile graced her lips. It had only been a month, and already she had court ladies following her around, even after Kasumi told them they didn't have to. They insisted they wanted to, because they enjoyed her company. Two of them were moth demons, Harue and Etsudo. Sisters, from what she remembered, though the two looked nothing alike, what with Harue's earth colored hair and eyes, and Etsudo's raven locks and bright eyes. Then there was Sachiko, a fox demon like Kasumi, though full blooded and not from a daiyokai lineage. She had red hair and blue eyes, and a tail that rivaled Kasumi's own. The last was Tatsuo. A quiet dog demon that followed orders with dark brown locks and emerald eyes.

"My lady, you sure do care an awful lot about Lord Sesshomaru," Sachiko pointed out, taking the lady's new clothes.

"I-It's not that I care about him… it's just…" Kasumi trailed off, her cheeks turning a bright shade of pink as she tried to deny the claim. She couldn't find the right words to display her feelings, and eventually gave up and sighed deeply, causing the girls to giggle and making her blush even deeper. _It's not like I can tell them I don't care, even if I do I don't but I don't care about him in that way…_ She looked down at her worn fingers, gently rubbing them each with the pad of her thumb. _Maybe I do care a little more deeply?_ She questioned herself. The robes she made certainly suggested she did. She combined the two house symbols, her fathers and Sesshomaru's. The entire robe was red, a reverse of Sesshomarus, with white stitching's of cherry and peach blossoms on the end and on the shoulder. It was silly of her to make something that could be considered so intimate, but once she started on the robe, she couldn't stop herself. And there it was, in Sachiko's grasp, in full view of the others, her supposed feelings engraved into every stitch. "J-Just take it," Kasumi stammered, trying to hide her face. Sachiko giggled lightly before one of the guards poked their heads in.

"Lady Kasumi, I was just informed that lunch has been prepared, if you would like to move to the middle of the house for your meal." He said.

Kasumi smiled up at him, hint of pink still in her cheeks, and it made the demon guard flush himself. He was like Usui. An oni, but unlike Onaga who was blue skinned, or Usui who was dark skinned, he looked more human, horns protruding out from beneath his dark hair line that were as black as his eyes.

"I'll do just that, thank you, Ginjiro." She stood up.

"Always a pleasure, my lady," he bowed to her, and stepped aside to let her and her group by, and then escorted them all to the middle of the estate where lunch would be served.

"My lady," a second guard was standing outside the doors to the eating room, a fox like her and Sachiko with pointy ears and light brown hair. He was a little more like Tatsuo, quiet and loyal, and followed orders. But he always smiled at Kasumi when they were around each other. "You're just in time, we have a guest today. He just arrived."

"A guest?" Kasumi felt hope rise within her, her tail wagging. _I was hoping he would return today._ Since Sesshomaru's absence, she was once again counting down the days until the month passed, waiting for the daiyokai to return and see her progress. Daichi, the fox guard opened the door and revealed the inside of the sitting room. At the head was a man she had never seen before, and her hope quickly deflated and her ears fell flat against her skull.

He wasn't an elderly man, but he looked to be about middle aged, with graying hair. He was wearing armor over his robes, something Kasumi was quickly realizing that most demon lords did in the house.

"You must be Lady Kasumi; I've heard so much about you from Lord Sesshomaru." He said, giving her a warm smile. She was apprehensive at first, but slowly entered the room and sat to his right. Her court ladies filed in as well, all sitting around her, and the two guards came in to stand behind her.

"You know Lord Sesshomaru?" She questioned, and the man nodded.

"Yes, of course. I'm one of the lords under Lord Sesshomaru's rule. I am Utada Hikazemon." He introduced. "I hear you are becoming his mate?" He looked at her, watching for her reaction.

Her cheeks blazed red, and she looked down at her lap. "I… yes… Lord Sesshomaru has declared me as his intended mate… however I am not sure what that really means."

"That's why I'm here. My lord sent me to educate you. I thought starting with a meal would be a good way to start. I apologize for not announcing myself sooner, my lady." Utada apologized, and Kasumi quickly shook her head.

"N-no, it's okay. Please, if you are here to teach me, then teach me. I wouldn't want to insult or embarrass him." Kasumi said.

"Excellent!" Utada said, just as servants brought in the food. Trays were set down in front of the court ladies as well, and before the lesson started, Kasumi began eating, and then her court ladies, and then Utada.

"Oooh, it's so good." Kasumi said happily. "Onaga has gotten better at making that fish, hasn't he, Usui?" Kasumi looked back at her court lady and friend, and the oni laughed.

"He won't quit until he gets it just the way you made it, m'lady." She said, smiling at the thought of her over exuberant father trying to impress the lady.

"You cook, Lady Kasumi?" Utada questioned, and she nodded.

"Yes. It was one of the few things I was allowed to do, even though father disapproved." She explained.

"I disapprove of this as well, my lady. It's highly inappropriate for a courtesan such as yourself to be in the kitchen. It's dangerous." Utada furrowed his brows.

"I wouldn't call it dangerous, m'lord-" Usui started but the lord cut her off.

"And its rude to have a court lady speak out against a lord as well." He said, and Usui pressed her lips together in order to keep herself silent.

Kasumi frowned, putting her chopsticks down. "Well, my lord, I'm afraid I agree with Usui. It's hardly dangerous, and I am well trained in cooking."

"It seems your age is showing, Lady Kasumi." Utada put his chopsticks down. "A courtesan in the kitchens like that is an easy target. Any one dressed as a servant can sneak in and attack you."

"I see your point, my lord." Kasumi said. "However, lord Sesshomaru was the one who said I could go in there and cook for myself if I wanted to."

"Well, lord Sesshomaru is too proud to admit he doesn't know everything." Utada chuckled, and Kasumi smiled and laughed with him, only for the pure truth of it. "Or he must not care enough about what happens to you." His words fell flat, and the atmosphere grew tense.

 _I don't like this man…_ Kasumi swallowed slowly, trying to keep her food down as her nerves began to swell inside her stomach.

"He hasn't even taught you proper table manners, my lady."

"He hasn't?" Her ears went back, and Utada nodded his head.

"No, I'm afraid he hasn't. I'll explain it so you and your court ladies both know. A woman never eats before a man. That's how it is with human houses, correct? So you see, my dear, the alpha eats first, then the mate, then the pups, and then the guests. No one must ever eat before the alpha. In this case, the lord of the house." Utada was explaining.

"You mean all this time; I've expressed rude table manners to him?" She felt all the color in her face drain at once, leaving her feeling a little frigid. All those times she had private meals with Sesshomaru, and not once has he told her she wasn't allowed to eat before him. _He must think I'm some ill-mannered girl. No wonder he sent a man like this to teach me._

"No, you haven't been." Sesshomaru's voice broke through the panic in her mind, and she looked up as he entered.

 _He's home, he's finally home. And Sachiko-!_ Kasumi quickly turned her head to face the fox court lady who held her robe, only to see she had hidden it from Sesshomaru for her, a knowing smile on her lips as her eyes dropped onto her lady. _Oh thank goodness… it would have been embarrassing if he saw that._

"My lord, you're back already?" She asked, feeling a relaxed smile form. His eyes drifted to hers, and her heart leaped into her throat at the sight of the smoldering amber. He growled at her, and she felt her stomach fluttering at the sound. _He seems angry. It has to be because of my rudeness. I should apologize, quickly._ "I'm happy to see you've returned, my lord." She tried smiling wider, hoping it would hide her shame in her behavior. "I've learned an awful lot while you were gone." She started, and kept her hands folded on her lap to hide their shaking. "I'm so sorry to have behaved so rudely to you before, my lord…" Her words fell, and her ears dropped. _What kind of lady doesn't have table manners…?_

"I let you eat first, because you are weak, and sickly. You needed to hurry up and get stronger. It was easier to make sure you ate if you went first." He explained, and the shame and guilt she felt building within her released suddenly, and she relaxed.

"Thank you, for worrying about my health, my lord." She said, her cheeks turning pink at her embarrassment. _So he cares about my health. I suppose that means it's okay if I care about his?_ She looked back up at him, only to see he had left the room, and Utada was following him.

"It was a pleasure meeting you, Lady Kasumi." Utada looked behind him before he reached the door, and Kasumi smiled a little at him

"It was an honor, Lord Hikazemon." She stood up to properly bow to the two departing lords, and then heard the door slide shut behind them.

She waited a few minutes before sitting back down, feeling her stomach churn. "I wasn't expecting Lord Sesshomaru to return so early." She said.

"He did say a month. Last month he left before noon. So he has gotten here a little later than a full month." Usui pointed out, and Kasumi rolled her eyes at the girl.

"Schematics. I wasn't expecting him to come back yet." Kasumi muttered.

"You were hoping he was." Usui pointed out, and the girls giggled. Kasumi elbowed the oni, receiving only more laughter. The group went back to eating, and Kasumi sat staring at her food, feeling a queasiness settle within her that made the food appear unappetizing. Everyone else ate upon her insistence, but by the time they were done, Kasumi could feel herself fading fast, her temperature sky rocketing.

"Usui, I think I need to lie down. I'm feeling a little ill. Would you mind taking me back to my room?" She looked up at Usui, and the oni stared down at her, surprised.

"Of course, m'lady." She said, and moved to help her stand up. Kasumi wobbled at first, but once she had found her balance she was able to stand and walk on her own. She walked to the sliding doors, and opened it, revealing Utada's back. _It looks like they didn't go far…_

She heard a noise, as if something splattered against skin, and she felt warm, thick liquid on her cheek. She touched it, pulling her fingers away to see them stained in red. Her skin went white, and sweat dripped down her spine. She looked up again at Utada, prepared to ask him if he was alright, when she saw claws piercing through the back of his neck. They were ripped out of him swiftly, demon blood flinging down the hall, on the walls and doors, some of it even getting onto her pretty kimono. Utada dropped, and in front of him stood a red eyed Sesshomaru, his fingers and claws dripping with the other lords blood. As she stared up at him in horror, his terrifying eyes changed back into the amber she loved. She got a whiff of regret, but couldn't place the source as he took a step towards her. She backed up, feeling Usui behind her, and then she swiftly ran down the hall, a hand clamped over her mouth as she felt bile rise in her throat.

She didn't even register her fear until she was almost at the family wing, where her lunch and breakfast promptly made itself known onto the wooden floors.

"M'lady!" She heard Usui's feet slapping against the floor, and then felt her arms around her.

"Lady Kasumi!" In unison, all six of her new followers called after her, and she hid her face in Usui's robes.

"I-I'm sorry, I threw up on the floor…" She said, and Usui rubbed her back, pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Don't worry, m'lady." She soothed.

"I'll make sure it gets cleaned up for you, Lady Kasumi." Etsudo offered, and all Kasumi could do was nod as Usui picked her up and carried her off to her rooms.

She clung to her all the way to her rooms, even as she struggled to put down her futon. Once she had it laid out, Usui changed her out of her robes, and laid her down. By the time her face was moved away from the oni's robes, it was clear to see the fox was in tears.

"He killed someone." She said through a broken voice. "He killed someone in front of me."

Usui watched as her lady cried, and moved her hair from her sweaty forehead. "I know… m'lady. I'm sure there's a reason behind it."

"You said it yourself, Usui. He kills people if they annoy him." Kasumi looked up at her through her tear stained vision for a moment. She closed them again and turned onto her side.

Usui rubbed her back slowly as she sobbed, a little angry with her lord for being so harsh in front of someone so young. She kept her comments to herself though, and gently soothed her lady until she fell asleep.

* * *

Sesshomaru sat behind his desk, a mountain of papers waiting for him to sign off on. He had a brush in his hand, was prepared to do what he knew he needed to, and yet, his mind wandered towards the girls terrified face. He had seen plenty of terrified faces just before he killed someone, he was never amused by them, nor disturbed by them. Yet remembering the pale, wide eyed girl, he felt disgusted. Not with her, but with himself, which was a new feeling entirely. He wasn't used to the innocence in fear. Rin only showed mock fear, already knowing true fear, and even death at her age. Kasumi was a new concept to him.

 _Innocence…_ He closed his eyes and scoffed. _She should quickly get rid of that innocence of hers if she is to stay here._

He turned his attention back to his work, when he heard a rapping at his door. He sighed and sat back, putting his brush away, and deciding he probably wouldn't get any work done at this rate.

"What do you want?" He called out, smelling Kasumi, but knowing it wasn't her.

"May I come in, m'lord?" Usui's voice came through the other side, and he made a gruff sound of his annoyance.

"Fine, what do you want?" He asked again, this time the oni entering the room. She took no time looking around the study, and chose to sit across from him at his desk, her gaze on her hands.

"I wish to speak to you about Lady Kasumi, m'lord." She said, and his eyes narrowed. When he didn't voice an objection, she continued. "I don't think I need to explain to you how dire this new situation is."

"Dire?" Sesshomaru sat forward, glaring at the oni. He heard her hard swallow, and felt himself smirk at her fear. "Nothing about this is dire."

"I-I'm afraid it is, m'lord. Please, pardon me for my objection but I believe it's important for the care of m'lady." She met his eyes, and he was slightly taken aback by the pure red depth of her irises. "Lady Kasumi has taken a great liking to you, m'lord. She has worked tirelessly in your absence. She wishes to swiftly improve the home and further her education, to please you. She has already gained the love and approval for the people around the house. Everyone here adores her; she is unlike any other courtesan. She is diligent, and helps with all the work around the house, even though as a Lady of the House, she doesn't need to. She's quickly gained peoples respect here. And people here are beginning to feel differently towards you as well, m'lord." She flinched when he growled at her. "N-not in that way, m'lord. They… respect you in a new way, in finding a girl like Lady Kasumi as your intended. She works hard night and day. For no one else's sake but yours. She has no other way to prove herself to you as capable. I wish…" She trailed off for a moment before continuing. "I hope that you do not judge her to harshly because of what happened today. She may be proficient in many things, and is able to behave like a capable young woman, she is still a child. One who hasn't seen much bloodshed in her life."

"You want me to forgive her for running away from me?" Sesshomaru questioned, and Usui nodded.

"Yes. I know it's asking a lot of you, m'lord. But she is so terribly upset, and scared. You are the only safety she feels in this place. Please, my lord. Won't you forgive her, and attempt to console her?" Usui looked back up at him, seeing his displeased frown and suspecting that he would not help Kasumi.

"For someone who speaks so quietly, you sure have a lot to say, woman." He narrowed his eyes at her, and she gave an apologetic smile.

"I care a lot about m'lady and her well-being. She doesn't have much right now, and like how you want her to be healthy, I wish for her to be happy. And I will protect her happiness no matter the cost. Even if it angers you, m'lord." She met his eyes with her own glare, and Sesshomaru shook his head at the look.

 _'It seems the little kit has a knack for gaining loyalty',_ his beast rumbled within.

 _Silence, I thought I put you to rest._ Sesshomaru said back, and the beast laughed, the sound a mix between a growl and chuckling.

 _'Those puny demons are nothing. I want that girl. You want that girl.'_

"Enough of this," Sesshomaru said aloud, standing up.

"M'lord?" Usui looked up at him, confused.

"I won't sit here and allow a servant to tell me on how to deal with my intended." He said, walking past her. "I am perfectly capable of dealing with her myself." He opened the door and walked out of the room, heading straight for Kasumi's rooms, and he didn't miss Usui's chuckling.

He pushed open Kasumi's doors, walked through her shōin room and right into her bedroom. She was curled up in her futon, her face hidden under her covers, though the top of her head, ears and hair were visible. The sun had already set, and her bedroom window was open, allowing moonlight to pool through and blanket the kit. He couldn't tell if she was asleep or not, and he debated on turning back when his beast protested at him.

 _'Don't let the oni brat tell you how to treat your intended!'_

Sesshomaru growled at it, and Kasumi peeked out over her covers a bit. When she saw him staring down at her, she squeaked and hid beneath her covers again. He watched as her body slowly began to tremble beneath her covers, and her fear filled the room. He approached her cautiously, her body becoming smaller as she held herself tighter. He knelt down by her futon and reached a hand out to touch her.

"P-Please don't hurt me, my lord." He heard her whimpered plea, and his brow furrowed. He grabbed her covers and yanked them down, revealing her huddled up position.

"Have I hurt you before?" He asked.

"N-no, my lord, b-but you've threatened to..." She trembled.

"Have I ever hurt you before?" He asked again.

"N-No, my lord." She said again.

"Look at me," he ordered, and slowly she turned onto her back to stare up at him. "If I have never hurt you before, why would you believe I would do so now?"

"B-because, you threatened it before…" She repeated.

"I do not threaten people and leave them alive when I am serious." He explained.

Kasumi frowned and slowly sat up, rubbing at her wet cheeks with her hands. "You mean you weren't serious?"

Sesshomaru made a face as if he tasted something sour. "No, I wasn't."

Kasumi smacked his shoulder hard, and he grabbed her wrist, encircling it in his hand. "That isn't very nice of you, my lord." Kasumi said, a bit of a pout on her lips.

"I have been told I am not a nice person." He said. He slowly released her hand, and wiped her cheeks with his knuckles. _However, it seems I want to be when around you, little kit._

She smiled softly at him, and he felt the tension in him drain at the sight. "I heard you have been working hard. You have the whole house in the palm of your hands."

"I-I wouldn't say the whole house…" She flushed.

"You even have guards following you now." Sesshomaru pointed out, and watched in amusement as her face grew redder.

"Th-they felt bad for always waking me in the morning…" She stammered. "They aren't so bad."

He smiled softly, and rubbed her head, before he stood, taking her hand and bringing her up with him.

"My lord?" She looked up at him. "What are you doing?"

"You've worked hard. I think that's enough to deserve a reward, don't you?" He asked.

"A reward?" she asked.

He nodded and pulled her towards the window. She climbed out after his insistence and then pulled her into his arm, and the two of them were suddenly in the sky.

She screamed. She was terrified of being on a horse because it was too far off the ground, and now she was flying in the air with nothing but Sesshomarus arm around her as a fasten. She clung to him, wrapping her arms around his body and hiding her face into his armor. She felt the wind fly past her, and her hold on him tightened. She didn't know how long she held him, but eventually, when she realized she wouldn't fall, she peeked out from his armor. Awe stricken, she turned her face skyward, amazed and memorized as the swirl of stars circled overhead. Sesshomaru watched her face light up with excitement, feeling a calm wash through him finally at seeing her relaxed and happy. And safe, too. Utada threatened her life, and with him gone, he didn't have to worry about the bastard trying to kill her off.

They didn't get to fly for much longer, before she was begging him to put her down, slapping his shoulder. She looked pale, and he wondered if he went too far in suddenly taking her for a flight. As soon as her feet were on the ground she ran towards some trees and bushes, and he could hear her retching behind them.

 _'Yeah, that's smart, make the kit sick to her stomach, that'll get her to like you.'_

He growled at his beasts' words and went towards Kasumi, walking through the tree line and finding her on her hands and knees, a pool of bile in front of her.

"I-I'm sorry, my lord… I should have told you… I-I'm terribly sick..." She apologized, not looking up at him. He went to her side and placed a hand on her back. She shuddered at the touch, and looked at him slightly, mouth hidden behind her hand.

"If you are sick, I should take you ba-" He didn't get to finish as she turned back around and once again started retching, nothing but bile coming out again. He looked at the pool forming underneath her, and frowned. It didn't have the stink of stomach acid, in fact it smelled more like blood. He knelt beside her, moving his hand from her back to her stomach. She had her protest on her lips, but he pressed his hand against the flat of her stomach and she vomited again. He cursed, and slipped his hand between the folds of her kosode.

She grabbed his wrist, and looked at him, her face red. "My lord please don't, i-it's unbecoming…"

"I have to." He stated. "Something is in there making you sick."

"B-but my lord," She started, but her vision began to blur and she slid forward, almost into her pile of throw up. He grabbed her, pulling her up and resting her forehead on his shoulder. "P-please, don't look…" She whimpered as he parted the kosode.

"This will hurt…" He warned and then pushed his claws into her torso. She cried out, her teeth clamping down onto his shoulder, as his claws reached inside her. She held onto him, claws ripping his the shoulders and sleeves of his haori.

Sesshomaru gripped around with his claws until he grasped something solid and he swiftly yanked his hand from her stomach. She collapsed instantly onto his lap, and he examined the object.

A little seed that had popped open, a small sprout growing inside. He narrowed his eyes and sniffed it, smelling a hint of Utada on it and growling. "A demon plant…" He stared down at the girl, grateful she was already healing from such a large wound. "He intended to slowly poison and kill her." He moved her onto his lap, keeping her up by using one of his upraised legs as a back board for her, and he opened her mouth, looking down at her teeth and throat.

There was a green moss forming at the back of her throat, surrounding it to a point where her it looked as if her esophagus was closing in on its self. "It's taken a few hours for it to cultivate…" He looked at the kit, her eyes half lidded, dazed from pain. "Utada intended for you to die slowly and painfully." He shook his head and reached down into her mouth with his fingers, and scraped one claw along the soft flesh of her throat. Skin and moss shredded off, the new pain jostling the kit awake enough she cried.

"Keep your mouth open." He ordered as she tried to bite and gagged around his hand. She grabbed the sleeve his kimono as he continued to rip through the vegetation, blood dripping into her stomach the more he scraped off.

When he finished, his fingers were covered in green saliva and blood, some of it even dripping from her lips and the corner of her mouth. When he released her, she turned over and puked again, but this time it was remnants of the moss and her blood. He rubbed her back while she threw up what had infested her body.

"Wha…" she tried asking once she finished, but speaking felt like someone was clawing at her neck.

"It's a certain plant that can only grow inside a stomach. It's considered a demon plant. It grows from your stomach out to your mouth. It kills you slowly from the inside out, and behaves like a minor poison. The more you throw up, the more stomach acid that attaches to your esophagus, the more the moss grows."

"I… ate… something…?" She tried and Sesshomaru nodded his head.

"The surprise visit from Utada. I think someone told him you were there and came with the intention of poisoning you himself."

"Why...? What… about… the others…?" She asked, slowly pushing herself off the ground to sit up a little. Sesshomaru reached forward and drew her bloodied kosode closed, and she flushed.

"It would have hit them already. I think it was specifically planted in your food. It's only about the size of a grain of rice. It wouldn't have been hard to place it."

She coughed, and he saw the tears in her eyes. _Such a fragile girl, crying over this…_

 _'But she had the compassion to worry about others after almost dying.'_ His beast said, and Sesshomaru frowned. He hated how he agreed with his beast on how admirable that was. She was weak, but considered others despite her own pain. He reached for her, pulling her back onto his lap where she eventually curled up.

"No ones…. Tried to kill me before…" She said, and he gently squeezed her to his chest.

"Rest…" he told her, smoothing back her hair after cleaning his hand and allowing the girl to fall asleep in his arm.


	19. Chapter 19: Traveling Party

Chapter Nineteen: Traveling Party

* * *

"Speaking"

 _Thoughts/memories/dreams_

 _'Beast speaking'_

Asterix ( * ) term word, definition at the end of chapter

* * *

Kasumi stirred awake, pressed into something warm, and wrapped around something soft. She had never woken up to something so comforting before, the soft fur around her hugged her tightly, and she nuzzled her nose into her warm pillow. She sighed contently, arms wrapping around something solid, and she squeezed, not expecting it to talk to her.

"If you're awake, then get up." Sesshomaru's voice jerked her awake and she quickly flung herself away from the sound. She landed on hard ground, legs sprawled and entangled in the fluff of his fur wrap. Her cheeks turned a bright red at seeing the annoyed, sleepy look on the lords face. He had taken his armor off at some point in the evening, and she quickly understood he had been her pillow throughout the night.

"L-Lord Sesshomaru!" She exclaimed loudly, quickly scampering and attempting to untangle her legs. He leaned forward slightly and grabbed one of her ankles, lifting her foot up and moving it out from the mokomoko's* grasp. He did the same with her other leg, and she quickly flushed and tried to sit seiza style. The front of her kosode was stained red with blood, and her stomach quickly realized its hurt. She clutched the garment with her fist and leaned forward as the dull ache quickly grew to a sharp, almost unbearable stabbing. She gasped, seizing up as the pain grasped her, when she felt a weight on her back that somehow eased her. She looked up to see Sesshomaru hovering above her, his hand resting against her shoulders.

"It'll pass, just breathe, slowly." He instructed. She tried focusing on her breathing, keeping it even and slow. She sat like that for a few moments longer until the pain became bearable enough she was able to sit up straight.

"Th-thank you, my lord." She flushed, wrapping her arms around herself to keep her body hidden.

He said nothing as he stood up, and Kasumi looked away, deeper into the forest. It was early morning, bright sunlight beaming through leaves, glistening against the morning dew of the grass. She smelled heat and woods, the hard dirt under her legs digging into her shins. She would have been bothered by the pain, if she weren't strangely mesmerized by the feeling.

Something dropped over her head, and she looked up to see that Sesshomaru had given her his kimono, leaving him in only his hakama's, nagajuban*, and the armor he just replaced. He wasn't looking at her, and she flushed at realizing she was embarrassing herself with her appearance, and hastily slipped her arms through the sleeves and tied the kimono.

She tried not to focus on how it smelled. She never once focused so heavily on her sense of smell before now, but she was particularly drawn to Sesshomaru's musk. She didn't hate it, but she didn't want to admit she liked it either. It smelled like outside to her, the rain and sun, the trees and leaves, the dirt and grass. It was everything she loved about being outside, everything about outside she wasn't allowed to experience. For a moment, it reminded her of home, but the scent was so purely Sesshomaru's own that the thought was only fleeting.

"Thank you again, my lord." She stood up, straightening out the kimono and bowing to him. He didn't say anything, turning his back to her and walking away. She stepped up quickly to keep pace with him, hiding the excited feeling of her feet on the dewy grass.

She clumsily followed behind him, stepping on sticks and old leaves - making as much noise as possible. She was astounded how quiet he was ahead of her, carefully avoiding anything that could make noise without even making much of an effort to avoid it. She tried copying his steps, only to be even louder than before.

"Ouch," she muttered, stepping on a stick that poked the arch of her foot a little hard. She placed one hand on the trunk of a tree and lifted her foot up to examine it, making sure she wasn't bleeding. Satisfied she wasn't seriously injured, she put her foot down and looked up.

He had stopped walking and was watching her carefully, concern wafting from him.

"I'm fine, just stepped on a stick." She smiled at him for reassurance, but it didn't seem to calm him.

"I will get you sandals as soon as possible." He told her. "For now, please bear with it." He turned and continued onward, and she frowned, hurrying to catch up to him.

She grabbed his sleeve and stopped him, causing him to look down at her. "Getting me sandals? Aren't we going back home?" She asked. His frown was answer enough for her, and her brows furrowed together. "Why not?"

"It isn't safe." He explained.

"Not safe? How is it not safe? One person tried to kill me, my lord. It's not as if the whole house is out to get me."

"It would be easier if they were. Unfortunately, the one who tried getting rid of you is dead, and his partner is an unknown member of the house. We don't know if there is one, or two, or more. Until they are weeded out, it's better if you remain outside of the house." He turned to start walking again, but she tugged on his sleeve once more.

"What about running the house then?"

"A few days won't make it fall." He started walking again, pulling his sleeve from her grasp.

"I disagree," she hurried around till she was in front of him. "A lot can happen in a few days, my lord. What if something happens and I'm not there to fix it?"

He stared down at her, amber eyes examining her frame in the morning light. She had a stubborn set in her expression, one he purposely ignored as he walked past her, rubbing her head as he did so. "A few days is fine."

"What if it doesn't take a few days?" She called after him, walking until she was beside him again.

"As you said, a lot can happen in a few days." He muttered, looking down at her to see her pout at her own words being tossed back. He smiled a little and looked away, moving into a clearing in the center of the woods. "I will get shoes soon."

Kasumi looked down at her feet, buried in the tall grass and squished against exceptionally soft dirt. She squeezed her toes together, feeling the blades of grass brush and tickle her soles, and she giggled softly.

"No, that's okay, my lord. I'll be fine. For a few days." She looked up at him, only to find he was watching her once more. She blushed. He was staring at her an awful lot, like he was concerned she might keel over any moment.

"If you are to be my mate, it wouldn't do for you to call me lord." He said, closing his eyes and turning away from her, leaving her staring at his back.

"What do you mean? Most noble wives do…" She trailed off, watching him curiously.

"Perhaps I haven't made myself very clear to you, kit." He looked at her over his shoulder, and all she could see was the gold in his eyes. "I do not want you to treat me above you. You will be an equal. Not subservient."

"Y-you were serious about that? I-I thought you weren't being honest when you wanted me to be an intended mate…" She looked down at her feet again, only to hide her blush this time.

"I wasn't. At first. However, if you continue to do the job you have been doing at the estate, I should take it more seriously." He admitted, looking away again and she wished she could bring herself to look at his face.

"W-what about returning me to my father…?" She asked quietly.

"I owe him a great deal for past help. My repayment to him could be to take his youngest daughter as my mate."

She pressed her lips together. "So I won't see him…?" She felt a tinge in her heart, a bit of disappointment and even sorrow. She may not know the man, but she wanted to know him. It might've been fearful meeting him the first few times, but she wanted to know the man her mother loved.

"You wouldn't be happy there." At his words, she looked up at him again only to see he was once again watching her.

"What makes you suggest that, my lord?" She questioned, narrowing her eyes a little.

"Tomosue has five children, not including you. They are years your senior, and to them, you would only be a reminder of their father's short comings."

"How would you know?"

He was quiet for a few minutes, looking back to the empty field encased in sun. "Because I was them at one point." He walked forward, and Kasumi watched as he stepped into the light, startled at having learned something about him. "And don't call me lord anymore." He called back at her.

She flushed and quickly ran towards him. "Then call my name instead of kit or girl." She said, and watched as his lips tugged up into a slight smirk.

"I don't think so, girl." He looked at her from the corner of his eyes, her lips turning down into a pout.

"My name isn't that hard to remember, _Lord_ Sesshomaru. You want me to drop the lord then say my name!" She grabbed his arm and he quickly pulled it from her grasp, whirling around to face her. Stunned she looked up at him as his face leaned in close to hers. He gripped her chin, and she felt his nose brush against hers, his eyes intently looking at her with the unexpected heat of a fire.

"Kasumi," he said her name like a whisper, squeezing her heart and causing her to blush. He released her as quickly as he grabbed her, again walking off. He left her glued to her spot, her entire face a beet red. "Hurry up, girl." He called out to her, and she tried to shove her shyness down and hurried up to him. She didn't ask him to call her by name again, content with just following quietly behind him now.

* * *

 _What am I doing?_ Sesshomaru thought, watching Rin and Kasumi play with one another. It didn't take long for Rin to warm up to the kit. Once she had learned the fox was a friend, her first response was to ask if she could touch her ears. Now the two of them were chasing each other, a game Rin called tag she often forced Jaken into.

Kasumi seemed to be enjoying herself. She was "it" and was running after the small child, ready to tag her and claim Rin as "it". He didn't understand the concept of the game, only knew it entailed chasing one another and touching others in the game. He hasn't spent much time with the kit, but he was enjoying seeing a new side of her. _Stubborn, childish, mature… how can a small, young creature display that many traits?_

"Uh, Lord Sesshomaru…?" Jaken spoke up, causing him to refocus his attention onto his task. "You will allow me to take Ah-uhn, correct?"

Sesshomaru frowned a little. He was sending Jaken to the estate to find the one working for Utada, and knew it would be quicker if he took Ah-uhn. However, if he did take the two headed beast, it would mean he couldn't leave Kasumi and Rin alone like he normally would.

 _It also means if there is danger, they will not be able to escape easily._ Again, he asked himself what he was doing. He could agree that he wanted to keep both girls safe, but how safe could he keep them if he ran across Naraku? And since Rins kidnapping, he clearly didn't doubt his ability to try doing it again. Only this time, he would have a new target. _What am I doing?_

"Take him, but return swiftly, Jaken. You have three days to return." He glared hard at the imp, causing him to shiver and mentally letting him know what would happen to him if he didn't come back successfully.

"Y-Yes, my lord!" Jaken scampered up the large beast, Ah-Uhn quickly taking them to the skies. Sesshomaru watched for a moment before his eyes settled back onto the kit and Rin.

Their game had stopped, and now the two of them set admits the field of wild flowers. Rin was sitting on right next to Kasumi, showing the fox how to make flower crowns. He watched as she clumsily tried to imitate Rins decorative head piece, and felt himself almost smile.

"Rin! How can you do that?" Kasumi questioned loudly, frustrated with her ugly result.

"You're really bad at this," Rin laughed and Kasumi frowned deeply at her, causing the human child to laugh louder. "Don't worry, you'll get better at it, I promise. It just takes practice."

Kasumi sighed deeply, looking down at the twisted mess in her hands. "I've never even heard of making these before. I had so many flowers back home, I probably could have." She looked at Rin, who was giving her a concerned look, and she smiled at her. "Oh, don't worry. I'll convince Sesshomaru to let me plant flowers in his gardens. I'll get better, and the next time I see you, I can show you my progress."

Rin smiled back at her. "What's Lord Sesshomaru's house like?" She asked.

"Hm… Well it's very big. And there's a lot of demons there. More than I've ever seen at least." She started thinking about the friends she had made and her smile turned warm. "But everyone I met there has been nice so far. Most don't seem bothered that I'm only half demon, but I suppose its because Sesshomaru brought me there himself. If he's okay with me there, everyone else has to be, right?" She looked at Rin, and she nodded.

"I want to visit his home someday too." She said.

"Well, maybe I can talk him into letting you visit me then." She offered and Rin's face light up with joy at the idea.

"Kasumi, Rin," Sesshomaru called out to them, on the edge of the field near the trees.

"Yes, my lord!" Rin hopped up off the grass carrying her flower crown and ran towards him. Kasumi watched for a moment before she stood herself and followed them.

Rin skipped through the trees, and Kasumi took her place right by his side. It felt odd to her to call it her place, but it had the sense of rightness to it that made her smile to herself. She felt so connected to the lord, as if her place was always to be by his side.

"So, my lord," Kasumi started. "What exactly did you have to tell the imp?"

"He will be finding the one who tried to poison your food," he explained, eyes never flickering over to her.

"Oh, I see. Well, do you mind if I ask where we'll be going?" She questioned. Several minutes of silence passed between them, the quiet of the woods settling around them peacefully. She took this time to gaze between the tree lines, admiring the greens and browns, the yellows and the blues. She never paid much attention to nature before, but now that she wasn't in a state of survival, she appreciated the sounds and colors. She also couldn't mistake the sound of Rin running through the trees, playing a game by herself. She took one look up at the inulord before turning around to join the girl in her games.

Sesshomaru's gaze flicked back to the two, watching as they started hopping on top of tree roots, treating the grassy ground as fire that they couldn't touch. Their joined laughter filled his ears, and perhaps even calmed him.

 _A few days will be fine… nothing will happen to them in a few days._ He reasoned with himself, turning his eyes forward again, their laughter following behind him.

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me?" Sesshomaru questioned at the fox in front of him. _No, not a fox now._ He opened his eyes to glare down at the human woman in front of him. Kasumi looked no different than before when she had her illusions up, she was just missing her two fox ears and her tail. The gem of her eyes had faded into a warm brown, settled into her nervous gaze.

"How was I supposed to know you wouldn't remember?" She questioned, turning her eyes away from his face in favor of the forest floor. "You stayed around me for three months before you returned to your travels."

He had done that, but he also never paid much attention to her during that time until the last month approached. She never left her room, and her scent never really changed for him so he hadn't noticed much of a difference in her. _I'm going soft… or I'm so blinded by this girl I see nothing else._

"That still doesn't change why you didn't say something sooner." He said.

She flung her hands into the air and turned her back to him. "It happens once a month, my lord, every half-moon. It's been that way ever since I was a baby. It didn't change while you were still at the house, and it won't change now." She huffed, crossing her arms and he frowned.

 _It wasn't as bad protecting one human and a half breed, but now two humans? At least as a half breed she could use her claws._ Sesshomaru shook his head, looking away from the girl himself. He shouldn't be angry at her, after all it was only one night, what harm could one night do?

"Fine," he sighed. "We'll stop for the night and camp out. You and Rin stay put." He ordered. She turned her head to face him, the stern expression he held stopping her comments before they could come out.

"Yes, my lord." She nodded her head solemnly and he disappeared from her sight. She walked over to where Rin sat, fiddling with her flower crown and sat beside her, resting her chin on her hand.

"Don't worry," Rin said, not looking up from her crown as she fiddled with the leaves.

"Huh?" Kasumi looked down at her, and Rin looked up.

"Lord Sesshomaru disappears all the time, but he always comes back. At night when he stops, sometimes he'll search for food for me and Jaken, or he'll get firewood if we're low." Rin explained.

"He does all that?" She asked. Rin nodded.

"Although, sometimes he disappears while Master Jaken and I are still sleeping, and he doesn't come back for a while. Sometimes he leaves during the day and we won't see him for a few days. But no matter how long it takes, Lord Sesshomaru always comes back. Since Master Jaken isn't here, I don't think he'll be gone long. So don't worry." Rin smiled up at her, and Kasumi smiled back.

Just as Rin said, a little while later, Sesshomaru returned with wood for a fire, dropping it at his feet. Rin got up and started piling the wood together, and Kasumi watched in fascination as the girl started up a fire. She was an amazing little girl, and knew how to do a lot more than kasumi ever could at her age.

"Rin, your amazing. Maybe I should start calling you Sensei with all this teaching you're doing." Kasumi teased and Rin laughed at her.

"I'll be back with food," Sesshomaru stated but Rin shot up.

"Ah, wait, my lord! Can't we catch fish tonight? I want to show Kasumi how to catch fish." She said. Both girls looked up at him this time, each with their own unique faces of begging. He couldn't deny the two of them and slowly nodded his head.

"River is that way," he pointed and Rin ran off. Sesshomaru waited until Kasumi stood, and followed only when she was in front of him.

"You dote on her a lot, my lord." She said, carefully watching her steps. Sesshomaru made a face, quickly swiping it away when she looked back at him. "It's not so bad. For a young girl to know what she does, I think she needs someone to dote on her." She smiled at him before she turned and picked up her pace, running after Rin.

"Tch, I do not dote on her…" He grumbled a quiet protest, slowly following behind them.

By the time he was there, both girls were in the water. Kasumi had bunged up the edges of his kimono around her waist to not get it wet, and she was watching Rin intently.

The sound of the river was heavy in the air, rushing water crashing against the gravel, the girls splashing around. Rin's hand ducked into the water and swiftly came out, a fish in her grasp.

"Rin! You caught one!" Kasumi explained, and Sesshomaru could picture her wagging tail.

"Yeah, now you try, pupil!" Rin grinned at her, tossing the fish onto the sand. "You have to be quick when you pull it out of the water, hold it tight. Let it swim into your hands, like this." Rin put her hands back into the water, creating a wide circle a fish could swim through. She waited patiently, Kasumi again watching her intently as a fish swam through the trap and then Rin snatched it, tossing the second fish onto the sand. "Just like that."

Kasumi nodded her head, copying Rin's movements now. She waited longer than when Rin demonstrated her skill, but eventually a fish swam into her trap. She clamped her hands shut and pulled the writhing creature out of the water, flinging it out and onto the sand.

"I did it!" She exclaimed, her and Rin jumping up and down at her success.

Sesshomaru turned around moving into the trees to check on their camp sight, when he heard one of them scream. He sharply turned, only to see Kasumi flat on her back in the water and Rin laughing. She pulled her up, and the kit struggled, sitting up in the river, drenched.

He huffed, calming down once he realized they were safe and walked over to them. "No more playing in the water."

"Oh come on, Sesshomaru." Kasumi said. "It's just a little fun."

He glared down at her. "No more playing."

"Aw… yes my lord…" Rin sighed, stepping out of the water. Kasumi frowned and quickly skimmed her hand across the surface of the water, sending a wave upwards and splashing Rin and Sesshomaru both. Rin giggled, but stopped when she saw the disapproving look on her lords face.

"Kasumi," He started.

"I know, I know." She stood up, squeezing the water from her hair and walking past him. He followed after her, Rin grabbing their fresh fish. "It can't hurt to have a little fun, Sesshomaru." Kasumi said. He grumbled in response, motioning for her to sit close to the fire once they returned to their campsite. She watched as Rin set up their dinner, skewering the fish and lining them up around the fire pit. Sesshomaru sat nearby, his gaze far away while they huddled around the warm glow.

 _Traveling with Lord Sesshomaru, huh?_ She looked at him, admiring his profile. _It'll be an interesting few days I guess._

* * *

Mokomoko: Literally just translates into fluff so the fur thing he always has on his shoulder

Nagajuban: Thin robes worn underneath kimono.

* * *

 **Author Note: Not really an important notice or anything just thought I'd apologize for the last posting. I'd give you a bunch of excuses as to why its taken me this long to post but honestly, it's lack of motivation (can't you tell by the lame ass chapter title?) with a big heaping serving of laziness. I also kinda was stumped a little on this chapter. I mean I knew what I wanted to write I just couldnt type it out, ya know? Anyway, here's the long awaited 19th addition to our tale. There's some fluff thrown in there (no pun intended), so enjoy.**


	20. Chapter 20: Almost

Chapter Twenty: _Almost..._

* * *

"Speaking"

 _Thoughts/memories/dreams_

 _'Beast Speaking'_

* * *

Two days. For two days now, Kasumi traveled alongside Sesshomaru and Rin. And for two days, Sesshomaru hasn't said a word to her.

Did she upset him? Did she do something to make him mad? Was he pouting because she splashed him?

No matter what she thought, nothing to her made sense, as Sesshomaru didn't seem the type to hold a grudge... though his fixation on this Naraku might prove her wrong. It's just no matter how hard she tried to coerce him into conversation, he rarely uttered a word.

She was staring at the back of his head now as he walked ahead of her and Rin. His silver hair swayed behind his back with every step, fur wrap swaying gently at each motion. He was focused so much on what was ahead of him, she doubted he noticed how far behind the two of them were getting.

She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest in frustration. She felt Rins gaze on her, questioning her actions with her eyes alone, but Kasumi chose not to acknowledge it. Rin seemed use to the silence from Sesshomaru, she doubted she'd understand her frustrations with the lord.

Rins eyes flicked towards Sesshomaru, then back to Kasumi. She hmmed to herself before tightly grasping on the fox's hand, leading her closer to the inulord.

"Rin, what are you doing?" She questioned.

"We have to keep up or we'll be left behind." Rin said, tugging her hand until she stood next to Sesshomaru, sandwiched between the two demons.

He glanced down at her, then up at Kasumi before his gaze moved forward again. She huffed, choosing to walk slower, but noticed that he had slowed his pace on his own, making it so that the three of them walked together.

 _Is he always like this?_ She wondered, her frustration ebbing away the longer she stared at his profile. _He's not like this at the estate... at least he hasn't been around me..._

She grew concerned now, her earlier thoughts of possibly angering him crossing her mind again. She started tugging on strands of her unkempt hair, gently ringing the dark locks between her fists and fingers, nervously fidgeting. _I'm always making him angry. What can I do to make it better? What can I do?_

A frown etched into her expression, so deep that it even made Sesshomaru stop to stare at her. He could sense her worry, and wondered what was bugging her this time. She's been angry the last day or so, so he's laid off on making conversation for fear of making her even angrier. It seemed nothing he did worked on her, and now she seemed frightened and worried. He looked down at Rin, who was walking slightly ahead of them now, and paused in his footsteps.

"Rin, why not catch something you can snack on?" He suggested.

Rin turned to face him, saluting to him as if she was one of his soldiers. "Yes, my lord!" She said turning back around and running into the trees.

"Are we stopping?" Kasumi asked, not looking up at him. He frowned and walked further ahead, finding a solid tree to lean against. Kasumi huffed, turning her back to him and sitting down on a tree trunk. She stuck her elbow on her knee and rested her chin on her palm, gazing out into the greenery of the forest.

Sesshomarus golden eyes followed her every movement, wagering her emotions based on them.

 _Now she's angry again._ His frown deepened. Her shoulders sagged in his robes, her spine curling, a defeated set resting over her body now. Even her ears had slipped down, nearly invisible in her hair. She smelled sad now. The urge to comfort her came strong, enough so that he didn't realize he was by her side until her emerald eyes was on his.

"What?" She asked, a hint of annoyance tinged in her typically sweet voice.

"You're upset," He said plainly, causing her brows to raise up her forehead, disappearing under her bangs.

"Me? Upset? You're the one who is upset." This time, his brow was the one to raise in question. "You've barely spoken to me over the last two days." Her arm fell and she raised her chin up. He saw the sting of hurt in her eyes and he stopped himself from sighing.

 _'Seems like you've made our mate sad,'_ his beast growled, forcing Sesshomaru to acknowledge his persisting presence.

"It seems I've hurt your feelings; I wasn't aware of that." He said. "I thought you were mad at me, so I chose not to say too much in case I angered you further."

"You mean... you're not angry at me for splashing you?"

"I wouldn't be angry over something so petty."

"Why would you think I'd be upset with you then?" He saw her eyes narrow at her question, wondering what was going through her head now.

"I thought you might still be upset about that night. Where I put that hole in your stomach."

On instinct, Kasumi's hand flew to her healed abdomen, feeling the ache at the slight touch. She was grateful she had healed. According to Sesshomaru, she would have healed faster if she hadn't had that one night of being human, but explained to her she healed enough during the day she would be fine in two days.

He hadn't been wronged. There was no mark on her stomach from what she could tell, not even a visible bruise, however the muscles were still tender to the touch.

"You saved me that night, why would I be angry?" She looked up at him, only to see he had turned his gaze away from her. She smelled something coming from him, something she had smelled on him only a couple of times. She couldn't find a name for it, and she wracked through her brain trying to remember. Finally, it clicked, and she stood up quickly, standing in front of him. She was short enough he was able to look right over her head. She grabbed his face between her hands and angled it down so he looked at her. He fought her at first, but eventually caved and allowed her to make him look down.

"Sesshomaru, are you embarrassed?" She questioned. If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn she saw a hint of pink on his cheeks.

"I am not embarrassed," he stated, taking one of her wrists and taking her hand from his face.

"Then tell me why you thought I was angry at you." She demanded, and Sesshomaru had a hard time looking at her.

"I thought you might have been angry at me for taking some of your clothing off. Or that I punched a hole through you."

She snorted, and his eyes darted down to her in a glare.

Amusement flickered in her gaze and she wrapped her arms around him awkwardly. She chuckled lightly, deepening his glare, but she just held onto him, her amusement clear. Eventually she looked up at him, smile wide, arms still around him.

"How can I be angry when you were just keeping me safe, my lord? It may have hurt but you saved my life, twice now. I can't be angry at you for it."

"Hm..." Sesshomaru stared down at her expectant gaze, waiting for him to acknowledge her words.

 _Such a cute kit..._ he watched her ears flick back, and he lifted his hand, petting her head and her ears back. She relaxed her hold on him, but didn't let go, leaning into him a little. His hand touched her cheek now, fingers sliding into her hair, gently moving the dark locks away from her fair skin. A rose pink colored her cheeks at the gentle motion, her eyes watching him, glimmering with an emotion he couldn't place. An ineffable aroma settled into the air, a warm, almost thick honey, drawing him closer towards her like a wanting bee to its queen. Their noses brushed against one another, their breath mingled together in a sweet mixture of spice and peach. Her eyes fluttered shut as his hand drew to the back of her head, leaning in to close the distance between them. There was the barest of contact of their lips, before the two of them were violently ripped apart.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Master Jaken is back!" Rin's voice came from the depths of the trees, forcing the two demons to release one another and take several steps away. Kasumi's heart walloped in her body, every vein flowing through her bruised at its impact. Her face was an impossible shade of red, and she attempted to hide it with the sleeves of the musky kimono.

Sesshomaru could feel, see, and smell her embarrassment at the short contact, where all he felt was annoyance it was interrupted.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Master Jaken is back!" Rin's repeated shout had his attention turned towards the source. "He's back and he brought a girl with him!" Sesshomaru's brows furrowed and he walked towards her. Kasumi stayed rooted to her spot, crouching down with her face hidden between her knees. He paused in his pursuit of understanding, turning back to the kit and placing a gentle hand on her head. She looked up at him, her expression panicked and red.

"I-I'll catch up." She stammered, ears again flat against her hair.

He frowned at her, pulling her up by her bicep till she was on her feet. "No, it isn't safe to leave you on your own." He insisted.

She pushed at his grip with her hands, eyes squeezed shut as she tried to escape him. "Please, Sesshomaru." She begged softly. "Let go of me."

He watched her cringe at his touch and he growled loudly. _So she's angry I touched her this time?_ Annoyed, he yanked her up, pulling her over his shoulder and walking off.

She squirmed, trying to push her way out of the cage of his arm with no success. "Please! Put me down!" She turned over her shoulder to look at him, only to see he was focused on something ahead of them. She followed his gaze to find Rin sitting on the imps back, pinning him to the ground and laughing, while someone was shuffling through the saddle bags on Ah-uhn. She squinted her gaze, spotting white hair, dark skin and a bright yellow kimono.

"Usui!" Kasumi called out.

Usui's head poked out from the other side of the two headed dragon, and her eyes narrowed at the sight of Sesshomaru manhandling her lady. "Lord Sesshomaru! That is not how we handle women!" She chastised, running over to them to point a finger at him.

He growled at her. "I can do what I want with her."

"No! You cannot, Lady Kasumi isn't someone you can do whatever you want with, and you know that." She retorted.

 _'Kill her! Who is she to tell us what to do?!'_ His beast practically roared within him, and he almost complied, if it weren't for the way the kit wiggled in his grasp.

"Sesshomaru, please put me down." She begged again.

He looked at her, his annoyance fading as he saw the embarrassed sheen in her eyes. Huffing he dropped her onto her feet where she promptly fell back only for Usui to catch her. Kasumi turned swiftly to bury her face into the oni's chest, deepening the inulord's glare.

Usui ignored her lord, tightly wrapping her arms around Kasumi and leading her away.

"I'm gonna faint," she gasped, clinging onto the bright, decorative kimono Usui always bore.

"What happened?" Usui whispered back, practically carrying her towards ah-uhn. Kasmui violently shook her head no. She could still feel Sesshomaru's eyes following them, and she couldn't possibly utter a word on what they almost did. The contact may have been brief, but the warm ghostly sensation of his lips on hers lingered.

* * *

 **Author Note: Super short chapter but I couldn't honestly bring myself to add more to it, and not because i couldn't handle it but because I think this chapter is really freaking cute with just this. I will make sure to add more chapters this week though so stay tuned, and as always, thanks for the support!**


	21. Chapter 21: Reach

Chapter Twenty-One: Reach

* * *

"Speaking"

 _Thinking/"memories"/dreams_

 _'Beast speaking'_

* * *

Sesshomaru's gaze followed the two women closely, watching the red faced kit-girl practically hide behind the silver haired oni. He was curious to her behavior, unsure what would have caused such a bright scarlet to color her cheeks. It wasn't an unbecoming shade on her, but it certainly wasn't one he was used to seeing on anyone. He vaguely recalled the red face of the miko girl in one of their encounters, and came to the conclusion it had to be a human concept. One's face did not simply turn red like that.

 _If it's because she's part human, how come Rin's face never changes color?_ He looked around the small field for the child, and the frown on his lips deepened.

"Where's Rin?" He questioned to anyone who would answer.

Silence filled the air, three sets of eyes resting on the inu lord, causing his own pair to narrow, when the girls scent suddenly reached him, as if he had been to blind to smell it before.

"Rawr!" Rin's little voice came out from the cover of the tall grass, and she tackled Jaken to the ground.

"Gah!" Jaken cried out loudly, attempting to work his way out from beneath the child, only to fail as she pinned him in place.

"Master Jaken, I've missed you! Where have you been?" She questioned, cheerfully making herself at home on his back.

"Get off of me!" Jaken cried louder, squirming in place further, causing her to giggle, but eventually she got off of him. "If you must know, I have just returned from my Lord Sesshomaru's home." He huffed, dusting himself off.

"Wah! I wanna go! Jaken, take me next time, I want to see where Lord Sesshomaru lives!" She exclaimed excitedly, shaking the imp now.

"Certainly not! Lord Sesshomaru's home isn't meant for humans." Jaken said.

Rin's displeased cries reached her lords ears, but his focus was quickly settled elsewhere. The two women were retreating into the tree line, Ah-uhn following behind as his reins were tugged. He quickly dashed towards them, stopping their tracks by standing in front of them. He didn't miss Usui's displeased glare at their failed escape.

"Where do you think you two are going?" He questioned. Kasumi had neatly tucked herself behind Usui, hiding behind the older girl. When his gaze fell onto hers, she quickly looked away.

"To wash. And change, Lady Kasumi can't go home dressed and smelling like she does." Usui explained. She had bundles clutched in her hands, which he assumed were the change of clothes.

"She doesn't smell," Sesshomaru pointed out. The scent from earlier still lingered, swirling around the kit and attempting to entice him towards her once again, but he withheld. One slip up was enough for the day.

Usui crossed her arms, staring up at him. He was getting a little annoyed at how defiant the once timid ogre was becoming. He figured it had something to do with Kasumi. She had an unusual effect on people, evident by his earlier actions to… What exactly had been his intensions? His mind wandered again, and he allowed the two to slip past him as he considered his actions. Experience suggested what he was attempting to do was kiss her, but the desire never revealed itself until that moment. When was the last time he wanted to do something like that with a woman? As he wracked his brain for any inclination of previous cravings, he walked back towards Jaken and Rin. She seemed happy to have the imp back to play with, despite the games she enjoyed with Kasumi. Her laughter and his displeased sounds danced around him. Yet still, nothing came to him. He knows he had to have kissed at least one female, but the want or need to give one wasn't there. Not like it had been when the kit was so close to him.

 _"The string binds you. You have been tied to someone, someone close to you."_ The old woman's voice rang clear as day into his mind now. _"Leashed to another soul. It's slowly wrapping itself around you. It doesn't seem to have fully tied yet, but it will. Soon."_

 _Why am I thinking of this now? She was spouting nonsense about strings, it has nothing to do with this._ Still, as his gaze shifted to the splashing he heard in the distance, he again questioned the meaning to the woman's words, a foreboding sensation sinking into the pit of his stomach.

* * *

"He did what?!" Usui's loud voice scared a few birds in the trees, sending them flying overhead.

"Shh! You don't want him to hear you!" Kasumi hushed, splashing water at her friend to get her to be quiet.

"I'm sorry for the outburst, m'lady, but it's hard for me to believe. I mean, Lord Sesshomaru kissing someone? I can't comprehend it." Usui squatted at the edge of the river bank, watching as Kasumi dunked her head into the cold water, resurfacing moments later with dripping hair and ears.

"I can't understand it myself. I wouldn't even really call it a kiss. Our lips barely even touched." Kasumi muttered, thinking back to the brief sensation she got of the inu lords touch. She could still feel his hand in her hair, a warm, strong weight held to the back of her head, ever so slightly leaning her face towards his…

Her cheeks burned bright, and she dunk herself back into the icy river in an attempt to cool herself down.

"If it was so brief, m'lady, why are you blushing so much?" Usui pointed out, and Kasumi had to fight to keep herself from turning redder.

"I'm not blushing," She said, feeling the heat all the way down to her neck, spreading over her toes as if she had dipped them in fire. "It's just warm out today."

An unladylike snort came from the court lady. Kasumi turned to look at Usui, whose amused expression made her feel uneasy.

"Wh-what?" Kasumi stammered, quickly blaming it on the cold and stepping out from the river. She took the robe Usui offered her, wrapping it around herself and reveling in the feeling of warm, clean clothes. She loved Sesshomarus robes, which she will now freely admit, to herself – in her head- but there was something satisfying about washed fabric that hugged her. _Maybe I'll wash his robe for him…_ She mused, gaze turning dreamy.

Usui clapped her hands together, the sound reverberating through the thick trees, and snapping the kit out from her daze.

"M'lady," she said, giving her an almost hard look. Kasumi felt herself shrink at the gaze, turning her eyes away from the court lady as if it'd somehow save her.

"What?" She asked again, gaze fixed onto an intensely enthralling blade of grass, until Usui snapped her fingers to get her to look up. "What?" She asked once more, frowning and feeling uncomfortable beneath her stern gaze.

"Have you ever been kissed before?" The words left Usui's mouth before she could think better of them, and she watched in fascination as Kasumi's face turned ten different shades of embarrassment.

"O-Of course not!" She exclaimed, turning away from the oni to dutifully pout the other way. Usui chuckled, standing up and walking towards her lady. She placed her hands on her shoulders and hugged her tightly.

"Oh, m'lady. Forgive me, I don't mean to embarrass you. It's just, your reaction to it is so… innocent. I had a feeling you hadn't but… well I just didn't think much of it. Please forgive me, Lady Kasumi." Usui waited, holding onto the kit until she eventually turned and hugged back, however hesitant she may have been.

"The only interest men have ever shown to me is by forcefully trying to take me. None so far have attempted to be… warm like Sesshomaru was." Kasumi muttered, recalling all to freshly Takami's slimy fingers up her kimono, or the few times Kaneshi used their closeness on horseback to grope her chest. She huffed, pulling back from Usui's embrace, turning away from her before her expression could be read. "It doesn't matter anymore though. None of those greedy little heathens can touch me anymore. I'm far from everyone's grasp again, and I'm okay with that."

"Not everyone's, m'lady." Usui spoke softly, touching Kasumi's shoulder with gentle warmth. "You aren't out of Lord Sesshomaru's reach, and he seems to be reaching for you. Perhaps… you should reach back?"

Kasumi was the one to snort this time. "Please… I doubt he was serious about it."

"Do you really believe that, m'lady?" Usui asked.

Kasumi fell silent, choosing not to answer as she picked through the kimono's Usui had brought for her to dress in. One of them, of course – the little devil- was the one Kasumi and loomed herself. The red stitches blinding as the sun's rays touched the fabric.

 _"If you are to be my mate, it wouldn't do for you to call me lord."_ He had said it so plainly, it was hard to tell how serious he was, but he didn't seem the kind to joke.

 _He could just be lying to me…_ a more negative side of her argued, and she frowned.

 _"I don't want you to treat me above you. You will be an equal."_ Her mind focused on the equal of his words. She didn't know what it meant to be an equal. She was either above someone, or below someone. She had no equals, a lonely existence for a princess who grew up with no peers. _He did explicitly tell me he hadn't been serious when he first suggested it. He's surprisingly honest… for a demon._

"Why would he change his mind…?" Kasumi asked softly, turning her eyes away from her work and up to Usui.

"Change his mind about what?" She asked, kneeling next to Kasumi. The two looked down at the various kimonos she had brought.

"Me. He was lying when he told everyone I was going to be his mate. He just… I think he said it to make… certain people go away." She bit her lip, not sure if she was even allowed to tell Usui whom her father was. "It made it easier for me too… more people at the house respect me because they believe he chose me for a reason. I'm just… his property. He said my life is his to do with as he sees fit. I owe him my life for saving me, now I have to give it to him." She shook her head. The demon concept of "mine" was confusing to her. Something could be taken and then claimed as "mine", or something could be saved and then claimed as "mine". "People aren't property though."

Usui smiled at Kasumi's confusion, and she placed her hand on the kits. "If you're so unsure of his intentions, m'lady, why not ask him about it?"

She looked at the oni, and then down at the robes. She quickly shoved the red robe into Ah-uhn's saddle bag and grabbed a bright orange kimono with white, blooming chamomile flowers sewn on the bottom.

Usui sighed deeply, standing up and helping her dress.

Kasumi moved when she was supposed to as she was dressed, mind focused on the simple question her court lady presented to her. _How can I simply ask him what he wants with me?_ She kept asking herself the question, repeating it over and over as if it was a mantra, and that the answer would reveal itself the more she inquired. Before she knew it, Usui was leading her and Ah-uhn back to the others.

Sesshomaru stood amidst the tall grass, the wind swirling around him as if trying to entice him into a dance. However, he was a mountain, unmoving to its gusts as it flattened the tall grass, and raised his mokomoko. Rin was hiding behind him, Jaken taking a protective stance by her side, his beady eyes narrowed. Kasumi couldn't see what the two demons were staring at until it was too late. She felt something grab her from behind.

A scream bellowed its way towards her lips, only to be gated by a hand over her mouth, she turned her face slightly to see Usui dragging her down towards the trees and bushes.

"Shh…" Usui hushed quietly, pointing towards Sesshomaru and the others.  
A woman was standing in front of him now, the wind whipping around her as wildly as it had around him, eventually dissipating into a warm summer breeze again. Kasumi's gaze traced the womans figure, trying to picture who she was. She was tall, standing just at his shoulders height, where Kasumi only reached up to his chest. Her raven locks were tied up into a short pony tail at the top of her head, revealing her pointed ears and the jaded beads hanging from her lobes.

She was pretty, Kasumi assessed just from she could see. She frowned at the sight of Sesshomaru and the woman talking, an unsettling feeling weighing in her gut.

"Do you know who that is?" Kasumi whispered.

"It's just a hunch… but I believe that is Kagura of the Wind. I don't leave the estate much, so I'm unsure, but I have heard rumors she's caused issues for m'lord in the past." Usui explained quietly, miffed with herself she didn't have a firm confirmation for her lady.

"She's just caused issues? Then why are we hiding?" Kasumi questioned, her green eyes examining the woman. She seemed incredibly amused, and Sesshomaru seemed incredibly annoyed.

"She's caused issues, and Lord Sesshomaru hasn't killed her yet." Usui pointed out, causing Kasumi to tense slightly. She couldn't hear what the two were saying, but she handed something over to him. He took one long look at his hand, before handing it back and turning away from her. He was facing Kasumi and Usui now, and her heart slammed against her breasts. She swiftly looked away, a hand on her chest. She scooted from Usui and deeper into the trees, trying to be as quiet as a mouse.

The wind picked up once again, whipping the leaves on the trees, smacking branches against braches, and then carried off deeper into the sky, leaving a slightly ruffled field behind as Kagura flew off.

"Kasumi," Sesshomaru called her name, stopping her in her tracks. She turned, facing him. He looked annoyed, but there was hardly a time he didn't.

"Y-yes…?" She asked softly, gazing at his boots before she quickly remembered to look into his eyes.

Warm amber flowed over her, making her melt with a single look. He seemed to know what he was doing to her, as a smirk turned his lips up in amusement.

 _Stupid, why am I reacting like this?_ She tried to will her body to behave itself, however, no matter how hard she tried, the heavy resonance in her chest refused to leave. _Why won't it go away?_ She asked herself, swallowing hard. She was flushed, but she wasn't sure from what. He could see it too. The others may not be able to, but his eyes told her enough for her to know he saw everything. Everything she suddenly didn't want him to see.

"Jaken has failed me," he said, the amusement she saw on him earlier faded, leaving him looking annoyed and stern, suddenly reliving Kasumi of the pressure his gaze put on her.

"What does that mean, my lord?" She asked, releasing a breath she hadn't meant to keep in.

"It means he has yet to find the member of the house who poisoned you." He explained.

"Oh," the sound of her own voice surprised her. Flat and unsure, a voice that didn't sound like her own. "What does that mean for me, my lord?" She attempted to quietly clear her throat, forcing some sort of curious emotion into her tone.

"It means you're coming home with me," Usui spoke up before Sesshomaru could, causing the inu lord to growl disapprovingly. "My lord, I understand your concerns, but m'lady can't push her duties or lessons aside. You wanted her to learn, and there is still much she has to learn. We haven't even scratched the surface of the history of-"

"I don't care," Sesshomaru cut her off. He reached out and grabbed Kasumi, bringing her to his side and daring the ogre to take her away from him. His glare stopped her argument, and she sighed deeply.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Kasumi spoke up. "I understand you want to protect me, but I really don't want to fall behind even more than I already am. With Usui by my side, there's no way anyone will try a second time."

He huffed, and the stubbornness practically radiated off of him. "No," he insisted.

"I can't sit here and follow you forever, my lord." Kasumi sighed heavily.

"There are other lesson you need to learn. Lessons that don't require reading." At his words, she looked back at him, ignoring the suddenly pestering thumping of her heart.

"What do you mean by that?" She questioned.

"I did tell your father I would train you," he shrugged one shoulder. "You can't go around blindly slashing with your claws. I will send you home when you can at least properly defend yourself."

Kasumi's lips pursed indecisively, knowing well anything she would say or do would only elicit the same stubborn response from him.

"Even if Jaken doesn't find the culprit?" She asked.

"Even if he doesn't, I will send you home." Even he knew he couldn't keep her away from the estate forever (though he strangely wouldn't mind trying forever), and at least offering to train her would placate her oni-court-lady-turned-body-guard enough to go back home.

The short visit from Kagura had been suspicious. She offered him jewel shards once again, and he returned them, once again. She either didn't seem to understand his lack of interest in the jewel, or she was distracting him. It was only when he saw Kasumi after he was done talking to the wind witch that he decided he was thinking too much on it. Her earlier request flitted through his mind, but it was a simple, fleeting thought. He saw no reason to ally himself with her before, he saw no reason to do so now.

He looked down at Kasumi, who was looking right up at him with those big, green eyes of hers. A sweet smell permeated the air once again, a warm tug pulling him to her, leaving him with the sensation of wrapping her up in its comfort, and making her his.

 _Mine?_ He let the word linger on his tongue for a moment, deciding he rather liked calling her his.

* * *

"He had a close guard on the girl," Kagura said, leaning against a wooden post. "I don't understand why you wanted me to go talk to him." She waved her hand, annoyed her time had been used so wastefully. Naraku didn't care what bothered her… he didn't care much about anyone or thing more than himself or the jewel.

Her gaze briefly flicked to the blackening Shikon no Tama, nearly in its complete state, before she looked back to Naraku.

The smile on his lips sent a shiver up her spine. Kanna was showing him something on her mirror, clearly something that had Naraku's interest piqued. Curiously, she walked around him, looking into Kanna's mirror.

On it, displayed a rather petite fox with black hair. There wasn't much to see, it was a close up of the kit's face, rosy cheeked and pouty lips.

And then Kagura saw why Naraku was so interested. Sesshomaru entered the picture, a hand on the girls head, ruffling her hair and ears, causing her complain to him, which he strangely smiled at before he walked away from her, leaving her in a disheveled state.

"Sesshomaru has a new one following him around?" Kagura asked. The image of the girl faded as Kanna lowered her mirror.

"She's quite interesting, this one. What should we do…?" Kanna asked, turning her gaze slightly up to watch her master's lips curl up.

* * *

 **Author Note: I have some explaining to do i guess, nearly two weeks and no update. Sorry bout that, id come up with an excuse, but none are really valid enough to use. I've kinda not been in a great place right now, my depression has been hella high and a bunch of this other fucked up shit that I don't really want to talk about nor should I really think I should talk about on here.  
Anyway, it's not as great as it could be (I guess), however, I think I should all let you know that you're nearing the end of this tale.  
Don't worry though, I still have detailed plans for our couple. I plan on making a second book for these two.  
Stay tuned, and thanks for the wonderful reviews and follows and stuff!**


	22. Chapter 22: Genko and Shakko

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Genko and Shakko**

* * *

"Speaking"

 _Thinking/Memories_

Asterix ( * ) term word, definition at the end of chapter

* * *

"Why did he have to take my tooth?" Kasumi complained, rubbing her cheek, where the throb of her gums ached the most.

"He needed a semblance of you. Most Dai Yokai have a weapon forged from their own fangs." Sesshomaru spoke, glittering eyes turning down to the whining kit walking beside him.

"But I'm not a Dai Yokai… I'm barely a yokai…" She said quietly, holding her cheek while her tongue prodded the newly exposed gum.

Sesshomaru stopped, faced his kit and grabbed her wrist. Her eyes moved upwards as he leaned in, and a light pink shaded her cheeks. "You are yokai." He said sternly, gaze never wavering from hers. "Your father is a Dai Yokai. I am one as well. A woman like you should have a weapon like her father and intended mate, do you understand?"

Cheeks growing warmer, she yanked her wrist from his grasp and turned away. It's only been a few days, but she has tried to avoid touching or being touched by Sesshomaru. She couldn't get the embarrassing image of their almost embrace out of her mind. Every time he touched her, his cold fingers electrified her, coursing through her heated flesh and drawing her towards him. It was not a safe feeling. It put all her senses on high alert. Things smelled differently around him, like sweet honeysuckle, or the fresh scent of blossoms on a cool spring day. Smells that did not go with Sesshomaru. When the two of them stood apart long enough, when he slept at night and she laid awake, his usual musk would return, filling her with the calmness it had before.

"I wish you would stop saying that, my lord…" She muttered, unable to look back up at him while she rubbed her arm.

"I believe of the two of us, you are the only one that doesn't want it to be true. If I remember correctly, you were talking a great deal about marriages when I told you I wanted you to be the Lady of the House." Sesshomaru started walking again, annoyed she had taken her hand from his so abruptly. He enjoyed the silk like feel of her skin.

"That's typically what that means, my lord." She said, eventually following behind him. "Saying intended… mates, it makes it seem so intimate. If you really are serious about… me," she had to swallow the word out. "Then I would prefer being called a wife instead."

"A wife and a mate are two different titles in my world. Soon to be your world too." He looked back to see her surprised face, and answered the question on her lips before they could become words. "Wives are used for the same purpose as humans use them for. Political gains, mostly. Demons marry to gain lands, like human lords do. A mate however… It's a more binding term than marriage. You will be mine, completely. And I yours. A demon won't marry after he has taken a mate."

Kasumi frowned, not quite understanding. "And why is that, my lord?" She asked.

"Once a demon has created an heir to their linage with their wife, they seek to bond with someone to create strong offspring's. After they mark each other, the two mates become soul-bonded. Intertwined in a way marriage could never hold."

Kasumi looked down at her feet and started to walk ahead of Sesshomaru, headed towards the waiting Rin. "That seems unfair to the wife."

"And now you understand why I want you to be my mate. I don't need two women." He responded, watching her closely.

"You know… humans aren't all like that." She spoke quietly.

"Hm?" He walked towards her, brow gracefully perked in a way that didn't seem to change his stoic expression.

She bit her lips, and then turned to face him fully, staring him in the eyes and feeling her knees begin to tremble at the golden depths. "Not all humans are like that." She spoke again, louder this time. "Humans… plenty of them marry for love. Many of them marry because of love." She watched his eyes slowly narrow, and caught the slight glimpse of confusion before he blinked and turned away from her.

"Love is an unnecessary emotion." He provided.

"Maybe to you… but for me… for us humans love is something desired. But…" She turned her gaze towards the ground, and her voice grew softer, enough so she hoped he wouldn't hear her. "It's something that I can never have…"

Sesshomaru hesitated a moment, not turning to face her, but not allowing her to be alone after she had uttered something he viewed as nonsense.

"Lord Sesshomaruuuuuu~!" Rin's high pitched voice cut through the tense silence between them. "Onee-saaaaan!" The two looked up at her, watching Rin run towards them with something in her hand. Sesshomaru moved forward, walking past her as Kasumi came forward and knelt down in front of Rin. She smiled inwardly at Rin calling her Onee-san, always wanting a little sister before, and happy to have found one in her outdoorsman master.

"Onee-san, look what I've found." She held onto a small handful of flowers, crimpled at the stems, a white, caved center, and vibrant deep blue petals spewing forth in a bold splash of color. "Aren't they pretty? They're so much of them over there!" she turned and pointed to where Sesshomaru was disappearing off to.

"I recognize those flowers." Kasumi said, standing up and the two of them slowly followed Sesshomaru. "My caretaker always called them butterfly flowers, because the butterfly always landed on them when we had them planted in the garden."

"Really?" Rin exclaimed.

"Mhm, I can't remember the actual name though. The leaves of the flowers can be used to make medicine for the sick. The monks would use it to heal those who were having trouble with their memory. It helped them, for a short time. It was even used on my father for a while too." Until she had gotten those special grapes from Tomosue. The grapes that seemed to level her father. She could never understand why the great fox demon gave her something that would benefit the murderer of his former lover, but he extended a kindness she had never experienced before. A kindness she repaid by hiding behind a stranger when she officially met him. She groaned lowly, pressing the heel of her palm into her forehead, feeling embarrassed at her past behavior.

"Onee-san, what's wrong, does your head hurt?" Rin asked, moving in front of Kasumi and turning, walking backwards and looking up at the fox.

"No… I'm fine, I'm just… remembering my father, that's all." She smiled softly at Rin, but the girl gave her a complicated look she didn't understand.

"Onee-san, what was your father like?" She asked, and Kasumi looked at her, almost too embarrassed to admit she had no idea, and then realized she likely meant the one who raised her.

"Papa? You want to know about papa, huh? Why's that, little rascal, you want to call him papa too?" She teased chasing Rin towards their campsite where Sesshomaru stood by.

"Nooo~!" Rin laughed collapsing onto the ground and giggling while Kasumi attacked her sides, tickling her until the small child was gasping for words through her laughter.

"Then what? What does Rin want to know about our papa? Ask me anything, and your onee-san will answer." She sat up, looking at Rin as she got up herself, the smile still wide on her face.

"Hehehe, what was he like? Was he a mean papa, or was he a good one, like Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin questioned, and Kasumi held back a giggle when she heard the scoff of Sesshomaru at her back.

"Well, he was a good papa. At least I think so. He may have had his moments where he was a mean one, but… but he loved me, even though I wasn't really his child. He took me under his roof, and taught me how to be a sophisticated young lady. I learned all sorts of things because of him. I learned how to read, and write, I know how to run a large household, be a good wife, serve my lords properly, and he even let me choose who I wanted to marry when I was old enough. He put up with a lot of my foolishness too. I should have married right away, maybe he would still be alive, who knows?" She shrugged her shoulders, looking distant now. "He loved mama too. So much. He was hurt by her betrayal." Kasumi scooted close to a tree root, leaning back on it, opening her arm up while Rin scooted into her embrace. "He did a lot of stupid things, like all humans do. Like everyone does. When he let her go, he died a little himself too."

"He sounds like a good man." Rin commented.

"Yeah… he was a good man." Kasumi's voice softened, and her gaze traveled over the distance, and ventured off somewhere far away. Sesshomaru watched her eyes grow distant, noticed the moisture gathering in the green depths. Her sorrow hit him suddenly, nearly staggering him mentally, and he felt this pang of empathy in his chest at seeing her look so frail and broken. Rin was about to speak, attempting to draw out Kasumi of her growing pit.

"Rin, why don't you hunt for food? There are some small animals running around here. You should be able to catch them." He offered, eyes flickering to the girl once before returning to his kit.

"Ah… Right, m'lord." She stood up, hesitating a moment when Kasumi jumped at the sudden voices and movement. With one quick look at her stern lord staring at her onee-san, the child was running off into the wild, leaving them alone.

Silence passed between them. It was neither awkward or serene. It was simply a silence that left the air heavy. He was looking away from her, and Kasumi was rubbing her eyes with the back of her hands fervently, hiding her choked cries behind distorted hiccups.

 _I'm such an idiot,_ Kasumi thought. _It's been so long since he's died. I should be healed by now… Why can't I… Why can't I stop crying…?_ The longer she dwelled on her tears the harder they came, until she was full blown sobbing into her knees, her shoulders shuddering with the effort it took her to keep her voice down.

A warm, familiar hand touched the top of her head, ceasing her sobs for a moment as she looked up at the hand. Sesshomaru was kneeling in front of her on one knee, his hand stroking her hair. His face turned away from her, offering her privacy and comfort with the gesture. She swallowed hard and tossed herself onto Sesshomaru, careful of his armor, and she cried into his shoulder, with him gently rubbing her back, soothing her though he didn't know how to.

 _This is the cost of love._ He sighed, petting the kit's ears back. _It can only bring hurt and pain. I do not want her to love anyone…_ He mentally sighed, wondering just what the emotion love truly meant to this girl. He didn't recall ever truly feeling the emotion. Admiration for his father, perhaps. An admiration that was quickly snatched away. He remembered feeling almost betrayed by his father's actions. Embracing a human. Yet… here he was embracing a half-breed. He never thought the day would come.

Her body trembled against his, and no matter how tightly he held her, she couldn't stop. Her sounds were muffled into his shoulder, the cloth becoming damp from her tears. It made the air smell salty, and tart. He had to fight to keep his face from contorting at the smell, and tried to turn his face away from the stink, and caught a humble scent of sweetness.

Immediately enraptured by the smell of his kit, he pressed his nose into her hair realizing that was where the smell was the strongest. Lately her sickeningly sweet smell hasn't left her unless she was asleep. The unfamiliar sweetness didn't appeal to him, but this… this was the humble scent of sweet blossoms, her natural scent.

He relaxed visibly as her aroma filled his nostrils, nearly nuzzling into her hair. He felt her tense up, was ready to step back, but she relaxed into his hold and leaned fully into him.

"It's been so long…" She muttered. "A year..?" Her voice broke, hoarse from crying, but she continued on. "He's been dead for a while… and my caretaker has been gone even longer…" She sniffled, rubbing forehead into the damp spot she left on his clothes. "I can't even visit their graves… I don't even know which one is his… And Kyah's is probably lost somewhere in the rubble…"

"Over a hundred years," Sesshomaru muttered causing his kit to look up at him. "My father has been gone for over a hundred years. His grave was lost, as everyone thought. I never got to visit his grave in those years. He kept in secret. The longer I kept searching for the grave, the more contempt I felt towards him. I tried everything to find it. To find his legendary sword…" He wasn't looking at her, but he could feel her gaze boring into his face as if she could see right through him. Maybe she could. He always felt exposed to her gaze, as if he was transparent. "My anger for him grew so great, that when I finally did find his grave… where his true body laid, I didn't care that it got destroyed… that I was the main reason why it happened. If I had trusted fathers judgement about Inuyasha, father's grave wouldn't have been sent into ruins… and I would not be missing my arm."

"H-how did it all happen…?" She asked, her mind focused on his story now, her sorrow subdued but not forgotten.

"I…" He started, knowing he should probably be ashamed of his misguided anger and hatred for his little brother, yet he did not. He still did not fully approve of him, and new the bastard needed to hurry up and mature, so he could truly be worthy of their fathers legendary weapon. "My father left the sword to Inuyasha…" He began again, telling her of his past grievances against his brother in his attempts to get the Tessaiga. As he spoke, she quietly listened to him, lightly slapping his shoulder when he told her something particularly terrible. But she listened, and he talked until her cheeks were dry, and the moisture in her eyes had dispersed.

When his tale was done, the two sat in a comfortable silence. She was wrapped up in his mokomoko, sitting between his legs with her shoulder pressed into his armor plate.

"Thank you, Sesshomaru." She said, breathing out softly and lightly nuzzling his fluff.

"Mh," was all he managed as he stared down at her, his chest tightening in a sudden burst of new feeling. His heart squeezed at the sight of her relaxed expression, eyes closed and her long lashes brushing against her cheeks. The shadows they casted traveled down towards her lips, a pathway to the savory sweetness of a fruit he hadn't yet partaken in. Intrigued, he leaned in slowly, trying not to jostle her too much. His nose scarcely touched hers, he could feel her cool breath against his lips.

Should he? He questioned himself, briefly considering that this may be a bad idea. Then again, he never did fully enjoy her earlier. He felt a rumbling in his chest now, the tightness expanding and stretching out over his body, leaving him feeling mildly chilled, but heated beneath the surface. What kind of sensation was this? Anticipation? It was a familiar yet different feeling than what he was used to. This new feeling almost terrified him, but excited him more and all that excitement was pining towards her.

His little kit.

His little kit, and the sweet fruit of her lips. Without further hesitation, his mouth pressed into hers, his eyes slightly narrowed as he watched Kasumis green eyes fly open. She pushed her hands against his chest, squeezing her lids shut as she braced herself away from him. When he didn't let up, she moved her hands up towards his face and began to push him away at the chin.

Frustrated he sat back, staring down at her but refusing to let her go. She had her hands over his mouth, her entire face nearly a ripe tomato red, and her eyes fixated on her lap.

"M-My Lord! Y-You shouldn't do such things to me!" She huffed out. Her hands felt cold but her lips were on fire with that warm soft touch of this man's lips on hers.

"And why is that, my little kit?" He questioned, speaking around her hands, purposely letting his fangs gently scratch at her palms and smirking when he felt the shudder go through her.

"B-Because! That… I don't want to!" She exclaimed.

"Mh… not good enough…" He moved, taking her hands from his mouth and leaning in once more.

"Please!" She begged staring up at him with anticipation and a touch of fear.

He raised his eyebrow at her plead, waiting for her to respond further as his lips found her hair.

"Please, my lord…" A soft whimper eased its way past her pouting lips, tempting him further.

"Wrong." He said and before she could protest again he had captured her mouth, drawing her in closer, and holding her hands close to his chest. She was stiff against him, her mouth unmoving but it didn't stop him from pressing his lips to her harder. She tried to protest, and he took the opportunity to nibble on her lips, tasting the fruit he knew would be sweet.

When her lips were plump with attention, he leaned back again, giving her a chance to correct herself.

"Please…" She wasn't looking at him now, her hands pressed to his chest, uncaptured by him now as he stroked her cheek with his fingers. When he said nothing and chose to twirl her sweet blonde hair in his fingers, she turned her gaze towards him slightly, just enough it riled him up enough he wanted to pin her down again. "My lord, don't do this to me too…" She said softly, and he grumbled.

 _Someone else has taken my fruit?_ The thought irked him, and the growl that left his chest had Kasumi trembling against him.

"How many times do I have to say it…?" He managed to keep his voice level, hiding the growl that decided to rear its head.

She looked up again in that way that had him wanting to devour her right then and there, but this time, the bit of fear he saw in her earlier had increased. This leveled him out enough he wasn't leaning over her, and through his grumbled haze he could see her tears were starting up again. He reached out to touch her cheek, and she flinched, turning her face away from his.

Frowning he lowered his hand, only for her to take it and hold it to her cheek.

"I-I'm sorry, my lord." She stammered, her shuddering coming from fear this time. "T-Truly, I am. I-it isn't you… I-I promise. I-I just-" She was stammering so hard he had to stop her somehow. He leaned in slowly, letting her watch his movements as he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Kasumi…" He breathed softly into her hair, and that seemed to be all she needed for the tether that held her to snap.

"I-I really want to, my lord-"

"Mh," he grunted at her response and she coughed to correct herself.

"I really want to… Sess… Sesshomaru, bu-but I just can't." She managed to get out, her hands on his chest again as he leaned in further, distracting her by playing with her ears, softly nipping here and there.

"Why can't you?" He questioned, purposely letting the words slide right down her spine.

"W-well… b-because I've never been kissed before…" She said quietly, stunning him enough he abruptly sat back to look at her. "I… yeah… uhm…" She rubbed her head, trying to chase away the feeling of his breath on her skin. "I-I have been forced into a lot of situations with men before. M-men who wanted to steal everything I had… who fondled me and… attempted to do unspeakable things to me… T-Tomosue rescued me… t-the first time I met him, he rescued me from being raped by my supposed fiancé…"

The large huff that came out of Sesshomaru surprised both of them, and he suddenly had her wrapped up tight against his chest, as if he was protecting her from anything and everything, like she needed to be held together.  
Pressed into his shoulder again, she smiled a tad at his musk before sitting back, reassured he did not see her differently now knowing she was tainted. "The one thing that was never taken from me was my first kiss… a-at least until…" She trailed off and tears suddenly poured from her eyes. "I-It's just another thing taken from me..." She managed.

"Mh…" He moved closer to her again, leaning in to nuzzle her cheek with his nose. "I promise I will take nothing else from you, my little kit." He said. "You will remain pure for however long you want to be. I will not take it from you, nor will I allow anyone else to steal it." He leaned back, gazing into her eyes until she nodded her acknowledgement. "Good girl." He smiled briefly, leaning into her and pecking her lips.

"M-My lord!" She exclaimed leaning back from him.

"I said I'd never steal anything else from you, but I've already taken those." He said, grabbing her arm and pulling her onto his lap with more force than necessary. "They have my marks all over them." He stated, causing her to flush as he stared at her tender, freshly nipped lips. "For as long as you live, those lips are mine. Now," He took her chin in his hand and brought her face too close to his. "How many times am I going to have to tell you to not call me lord?" He questioned, and then smothered her lips with his own.

 _This is fine,_ he thought, stealing another kiss from her. _I will teach her that she will be mine only._

* * *

"Are you sure you're okay, Onee-san?" Rin asked, giving Kasumi a serious look. She placed the back of her hand on her forehead, holding it there for a few seconds before removing it and standing back. "Well it doesn't feel like you have a fever. But boy, your face sure was red, Onee-san. I thought something bad happened."

 _Something bad did happen_ , Kasumi whined in her head, feeling her face burn up all over again.

 ** _About two minutes ago_** _  
"M-My lord…!" Kasumi pushed against his shoulders, trying desperately to get the surprisingly affectionate inulord off of her. He grumbled into her ear, causing her to shiver and once again have hi reaffirm himself above her. "R-Rin will be back soon..." She tried, gently trying to get him to stop. So far he's managed to nuzzle, kiss, and nip at every bit of exposed skin he could find. She was grateful he didn't go too far, but definitely wasn't showing any signs of stopping._

 _"S-Sesshomaru… Please, you have to stop sometime."_

 _He shifted, raising his head and leaning over her letting his golden gaze linger on her a little too long before, silken hair gently falling across his shoulder. "No one says I have to." He stated._

Oh great, he responds when I call him by name… this could have been solved so much sooner… _Kasumi resisted the urge to groan and slowly slipped out from beneath him._

 _"I'm saying you need to. Y-You said you weren't going to try anything." She crossed her arms, trying to hold onto some dignity by appearing offended._

 _"Wrong." He moved in and she held her hands up to his lips when he tried to kiss her. This wasn't the second or third time he declared wrong and decided to invade her personal space._

 _"You said you wouldn't steal anything else from me." She countered._

 _"I did. I'm not stealing from you. I'm giving you a gift." He sat back, watching her._

 _"And what gift includes biting me everywhere?"_

 _"Mh, the kind where every male demon who gets too close to you will know that you are taken, since I have decided to seriously take you as a mate." He pointed to the small bite on her neck, easily hidden beneath her robes. "If anyone is close enough to see that, they are too close."_ Not to mention it will get her used to my touch… _Sesshomaru couldn't help but feel excitement at the thought._

 _"Doesn't every male demon in the house already know that?" She sighed, pulling the collar of her kimono up enough to hide the mark._

 _"Hearing it and seeing it are two different things. I don't trust myself not to murder half the house if someone tries to kill you again. If they see those… they may assume we are already bonded. It's for protection."_

 _Kasumi narrowed her eyes at him, inspecting him closely and crossing her arms. "You're just using that as an excuse."_

 _A satisfied smirk crossed his lips and he stepped towards her. "Wrong." He declared and nabbed yet another kiss from her(wether she was wrong or not), just as the sounds of Rin's approach came._

"I promise, Rin. I'm okay, just a little flushed from this heat." She tried reassuring her, silently cursing Sesshomaru who was in the back in the perfect mask of someone who didn't just get caught doing something he probably should have stopped doing a long time ago. She sighed loudly, and then gave Rin a big grin. "Do I need to chase you around to prove I'm not sick?" She asked. "I'm pretty sure I can keep up with you now."

"Noooo," Rin laughed, pushing against her onee-san's leg. "We have to eat so you get stronger."

"I know," Kasumi's smile faltered for a moment. She was still well below her usual weight. She was soft in the right areas now; her bones didn't protrude from her skin like a mummy anymore. But her clothes were still just a few sizes too big for her. Her body was going through its long recovery of near malnutrition. Of course, with Sesshomaru around her 24/7, she couldn't skip out on meals no matter what she tried to do. Even if she feigned being sick, he'd spoon feed her himself. Not that he ever did it before… she imagines he would though.

She moved to the fire pit, sitting down by Rin, and watching as she roasted their meal for the evening. Charred rabbit. Rin had to be quick to catch them, and Kasumi frowned at the thought. Lately, Sesshomaru has been encouraging Rin to go out hunting for small animals. The first few times Rin would come back with nothing, but it didn't take her long to get to catching faster animals, evident by her most recent catch.

He was doing all this, because of Kasumi. He said young animal demons typically have the instinct to run around and pounce, play fight with their siblings and other demons, practice prowling. He told Kasumi to treat Rin like they were the same age, to play with her like an 8-year-old. All this so she could draw out her natural instinct.

In the end, it did kind of work. She's gotten faster than before, her senses were more tuned, but her body was still too weak. Since Sesshomaru can't train her body, he opted a weapon would be good for her for the time being. What she couldn't understand is how she was supposed to use a sword when she can barely keep up with an eight-year-old.

And how exactly is this Tōtōsai person supposed to turn her fang into a weapon? She rubbed her sore gum, surprised to feel that a new fang was growing back already.

"I guess he wasn't lying when he said it'd grow back in a day…" She muttered, poking the small fang with her tongue.

"What? What will grow back?" Rin questioned, turning to face the fox.

"My tooth, see," She opened her mouth wide, letting Rin see the stub fang. "Tōtōsai pulled it out. He said he was going to use it for something he's making for me."

"That's so cool. It's the same tooth that I lost the day Lord Sesshomaru saved me." Rin grinned widely, and Kasumi chuckled.

"It's official, Rin. We were always meant to be sisters." Kasumi said, drawing Rin close to her.

"Yeah, I'm glad to have a sister like you, onee-san." Rin took the food from the fire pit and handed one off to her onee-san.

Kasumi has long grown used to Sesshomaru watching her eat every single bite, but tonight she was acutely aware of his eyes on her. Knowing his gaze was on her made her face flush, and the bite mark on her ache.

"Ah Onee-san, you told me what papa was like. What about Mama?" Rin looked up at her, a large chunk of meat out of her meal.

"Mama?" Kasumi stopped eating and tried to think. "Hm, I say she's a lot like me. What I know about her I've heard from papa and Kyah. Kyah especially had a lot to say about her. They were childhood friends. She said that mama was a woman ahead of her time. I never really knew what that meant but… well, Mama wanted a family. And love." She smiled a little. "You know this is my favorite story papa used to tell me about mama. When he was young, his father let him travel their lands to seek a bride of his choosing. The condition was that he only had a few weeks to find and bring her back to the estate. So he went to a neighboring village, not too far away from the estate. He had been through there a few times, and already had a girl in mind. That would be mama. He courted her for all three weeks, without even getting a hint from her that she'd marry him. She wanted to marry someone for love." She smiled at the thought, remembering the time she also craved love. "Mama had a favorite spot away from the town, a place her and papa went to a lot. And he proposed to her under her favorite tree there. She loved that moment so much she married him. And on their wedding day, his gift to her was a seed from the very fruit that grew on her tree. They planted it in their garden, and planned on watching it blossom together, and would plant a new seed after every decade of their marriage. But then... mama died after only two years. So I took her place watching the tree grow. It's my favorite tree too."

"Where is the tree then?" Rin asked.

"Mh… I think it got destroyed with the rest of the estate… I don't really know. There were a lot of places I couldn't get to." She shrugged, attempting to lighten her feelings about not having the tree she grew up with, the tree that connected her mother and father. "But it's okay… It's at the house, with mama, papa, and Kyah." She smiled reassuringly at Rin, hugging her to her side before the two of them continued to eat their dinner, Sesshomaru standing close by as the two girls enjoyed themselves.

 _Humans and their love…_ He watched them as they eventually settled down to sleep, the fire dying down. _How foolish must humans be to not realize it brings them only suffering, and weakness?_ His eyes closed as he thought more. _The man was weak after realizing his beloved wife loved someone else, and let her die. In the end, he died knowing he took Kasumi's mother away._ He peered open one eye as the girls shuffled around, Kasumi laying down a blanket given to her by Usui, and the two of them laying on their back, to look at the stars.

"Kyah yelled at me all the time when I was younger. I climbed to the top of the tree every day, she would get mad that I would get cuts on my hands and face, even though they would heal quickly. She said it wasn't polite for a lady to do that." Her soft laughter filled his ears, the sound warm and inviting- no doubt filled with the love she had for this woman.

"What was Kyah like…?" Rin asked quietly, sleep in her voice.

"She was a real mother… Scolded me, loved me, taught me, took care of me. All she wanted was to see me get married before she died. I think she knew it was coming soon, too. I should have married that Takami…" She sighed heavily. "I wanted to grant her wish. For her to see me married."

"Do you think her spirit is watching you until you do get married?" Rin yawned, turning onto her side.

The thought crossed Kasumi's mind and her face burned again. _Oh, Kamis above, I hope not._ She rolled onto her side as well, curling up around Rin and covering her with her tail.

"I wonder if she is?" Kasumi mused.

"Mh… before you go back with Lord Sesshomaru…" Rin yawned again, and his ears perked up slightly in hearing his name. "Lets find a big peach try to climb, just like the one in your home."

"Heh," Kasumi smiled and kissed Rins temple. "Let's do that. Well find a good one. Before I leave, I promise." She saw Rin smile before she drifted off to sleep, and eventually, Kasumi followed after her. With both girls sound asleep, Sesshomaru finally closed his eyes, sitting at the far end of camp, waiting for the two to wake, and morning to come.

* * *

Kasumi groaned, following behind Sesshomaru slowly. She stretched her arms above her head, and released a large, long yawn. When she opened her eyes, he was staring at her, expression unreadable.

Her cheeks heated and she tried to not avert her gaze. "Wh-what?" She questioned.

"Don't you typically wake up early? Why is this any different?" He questioned.

She frowned. "The sun isn't even up yet. Why are you so impatient? Waiting to get rid of me so everyone back home can see these stupid marks you put on me?"

A sly, almost mischievous smirk curled his lips, causing her heart to stop at the unfamiliar, yet attractive sight. "Maybe," he concluded and continued forward, the smirk not fading even after she fell into step beside him.

When they emerged from the woods outside of Tōtōsai's forge, Sesshomaru stopped at the threshold of the woods, eyes turning up, scanning the tall mountain and its surroundings, the clank of a hammer against metal resounded throughout the area, erasing all signs of peace in the warm early morning air. _Sounds like he's still working…_ Kasumi guessed, seeing the billow of black smoke merging from the crevice of the mountain. She looked up at Sesshomaru, only to see he was gaze at the sky.

"When the hammer stops, we will go to him." He explained.

"Right…" she spoke dryly, resisting the urge to role her eyes. _He couldn't have let me sleep longer?_ Sighing, she sat down, deciding to enjoy the sight in front of her.

It must have been close to four am now, the typically blackened night sky was brightening up, little by little. The sapphire expanse, with its twinkling stars above her, slowly disappeared as time passed. _I wonder what direction we're facing?_ She questioned, confused at the brightness of the sky. _Maybe it's later than I thought?_ She considered the possibility, as the hint of orange tinged over the tree tops. She sat up straight as the sight, barely seeing the light over the tall trees. She stood to try and see more, straining her neck and watching the suns slow peek.

Sesshomaru was watching her, seeing her excitement at the sight, and decided to give her another gift. He wrapped his arm around her waist, causing her to look at him.

"Please don't tell me you're going to start again," her gaze was suspicious, but he only chuckled softly.

"No, I have another gift for you." He explained, amused by her words.

"I'm telling you, bite marks do not count as gifts." She huffed, trying to give him an annoyed look he saw right through.

"Remember, hold on tight." He said, squeezing her to his chest.

"What? Don't tell me you're going to-" She cut off as he suddenly shot up into the sky in a rush of wind and speed, leaving her breathless and with the need to scream in terror. "Is your gift to me needless fear?!" She asked, breathing hard and clinging to him.

"Mh, you will eventually have to get used to this." He explained, looking straight ahead of him. He stopped several hundred feet away from the cliff and forest, and pointed forward. "There, my gift."

Suspicious, she followed his gaze and gasped at the sight. She could see everything from this height, and for once the sight didn't terrify her. Instead she was awed at the sight of the sun, painting the land and sky with its light, blanketing everything in its warmth, its color. She sighed in her awe, leaning towards his shoulder as she watched. "I love sunrise…" She said slowly. "I could never see it growing up… I tried climbing my tree so I could see over the walls… at the sky." A soft smile lifted her lips. "Could never quite make it. I could only see a small speck of orange over the roof tops."

He was watching her, turning his eyes away only when he began to feel the sun's rays on his skin. _An absurd fascination with the sun and that tree, but…_ from the corner of his eye, he watched the sun color her hair orange, and redden her cheeks, and couldn't help but to think she was cute light this. He hid his smile, and the two stayed in the sky until the sun had risen high enough, and the sound of the hammer stopped. When they went down below, Sesshomaru didn't let up his hold on her waist until she was steady on her feet in front of Tōtōsai's home.

"T-Tōtōsai, were here," she announced herself, cautiously taking a step forward.

"Good! Leave that Sesshomaru out there!" His reply came loudly.

Kasumi looked up at him, slightly confused and now uncertain about going in there.

"Go. He doesn't want me to ruin this for you." He waved her off towards the forge.

"Why would he think something like that…?" She muttered.

"Because, he believes me unworthy of my father's sword. Now go, I'll wait."

She hesitated at his words, finding it odd to realize he was waiting for her, when she typically waited for him. Finally, taking in a slow deep breath she walked into the forge. Heat enveloped her stronger than what the suns rays had given her, and she felt herself begin to sweat. Tōtōsai sat with a relatively small cloth in front of him.

"Good, take a seat." He motioned for her to sit across from him and she did, sliding into seiza all to easily.

"I don't know what that Sesshomaru told you, but I am a master swordsmith. I only make weapons for those I believe deserve it. I won't make weapons for anyone else. It's a limited customer base, but my swords are the best. With that said, yours I made a little differently. As I began to merge your fang into the metal, it sang something to me, that I went and did something I have never done before. I created a weapon, suited for a young girl like you." He lifted the cloth, revealing its hidden treasure.

Kasumi stared blankly, too stunned to speak. "May I hold it?" She asked.

"It's your weapon girly, go ahead and take it." He said.

"A weapon?" She slowly lifted it up, black metal cool to the touch. "It's heavier than I thought it would be." She mused.

"Its light weight enough you should be able to carry it around normally without suspicion."

"It's certainly not very obvious," she joked, chuckling. "And you say my fang told you to make this?"

"Yup, it's grade a metal, light weight, the leaves are thin but sharp. The weapon will be able to channel your fox fire as well, help you learn to control it. With practice, you'll discover more of it's capabilities, but only when they see you're ready."

"Sesshomaru seems the type to be overly cautious… he'll never think I'm ready for something like that." Her fingers sliding over metal guard.

"Not Sesshomaru. _them_ ," he emphasized, pointing to the metal fan in her hand. "Genko and Shakko."

"'Shakko*? But its black." She repeated, confused. "But... why that name?"

"Open it," he rolled his eyes and watched her unfurl the fan. On the thin black metal leaves, was several etchings of flames, the entirety of these small markings merging to create the shape of a red flaming fox, running towards the guard. She ran her fingers over the image, amazed at the feeling of the sharp but smooth metal.

"Genko and Shakko... Two names, two colors." She smiled.

"Well I hope you like it, cause you aren't getting another one, now hurry on and get out of here." He waved her off. "I got a lot of things to do today." He turned around and laid on his side, scratching his belly and holding his head up in his hand.

"It's beautiful, Tōtōsai, thank you." She stood up, turned to leave, and looked back. She quickly hurried over to him and kissed the top of his bald head. "I'll take good care of them. I promise. Thank you so much." She bowed to him, before quickly rushing out to greet Sesshomaru, her mighty tessen* in her hand giving her boundless confidence as she threw herself into his arms. _With this, I will learn how to help myself. I can't lean on Sesshomaru forever. I will protect myself. I will learn to protect my friends, keep Rin safe if a demon comes and attacks us._ She had long forgotten about her deal with Sesshomaru, now only wishing to learn how to fend for herself, to protect Rin who she grew attached to so quickly. And to spend more time with her Lord Sesshomaru.

* * *

Genko and Shakko: Each name respectfully describe a black and red fox in that order, both a good omen. This is why Kasumi is confused about the name Shakko before she reveals its secret.

Tessen: Warfan (samurai actually used these too, has its own fighting style and everything too)

* * *

 **Author Note: Howdy ya'll. So, been a while since I've posted. Little over four months. I don't really have much of an excuse or anything, when I posted my last chapter it was near the end of the semester for me, so I had tests to study for and all. After that it was an immediate summer break. At first there were all sorts of things that needed to get done around my home, and any time i tried to sit down and right something would stop me. When I didn't have things to do around the house, I would be so exhausted I could do nothing but veg out on something.**

 **I've finally gotten aa huge break, now that the fall semester has started up and I'm taking a small break from school, I've been able to relax enough where writing this chapter became possible, and I'm no longer feel like im being pushed into a corner. So yeah... Anyway, everyones follows and favorites mean a lot to me, and to the reviewers out there that wanted me to hurry up and post, here it is, in all its glory. I hope you all enjoyed reading it about as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

 **Since its been forever since my last update, I threw in some fan service for you, as a thank you for your patience. I hope you enjoyed the new change in Sesshomaru. Seems to me like he's got a new interest in our little Kit. Wonder how quickly his physical advances will change too. ;)**


	23. Chapter 23: Parting

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Parting**

* * *

"Speaking"

 _Thinking/Memories_

Asterix ( * ) term word, definition at the end of chapter

* * *

"Onee-san, I don't want you to go!" Rin's little shrill cry broke Kasumi's heart in the most bittersweet way imaginable.

"I know, Rin. But I'm sure I'll see you again, after all, we both serve Lord Sesshomaru, right?" Kasumi spoke softly as the little human girl hugged her waist. Kasumi had her hand on top of her head, fingers stroking the inky black silk of her hair, a pang striking through Kasumi's heart like an arrow. She never truly believed that parting ways with someone could hurt as much as this, especially when the departure would only be temporary. Kasumi's chest ached as if she was truly saying goodbye to her sister, to her family, the last remains of it. Her only family.

She quickly sucked in a tear and knelt down to Rin's level, her hands on the girls' shoulders. "Rin, we will see each other soon, I swear it. Nothing will stand in my way if it means seeing you again. I will fight every man, demon, and lord to get to you if I must." Her hands moved up to Rin's cheeks, which were wet from her tears. "You are my sister by heart, and I will do everything within my power and beyond to ensure that does not change. Even distance cannot stop it." She kissed her forehead, and the two shared another tight hug.

Jakken rolled his eyes at the sight. He was standing there holding the reigns to Ah-Uhn, while the two humans hugged and shared their affections for one another. He just couldn't wait to get rid of the fox, so that he and his lord could continue their journey.

He had _hoped_ Rin would be going with the little halfbreed, but of course, Lord Sesshomaru forbade it.

 _Why must mi'lord Sesshomaru keep a human by his side and a half breed in his home?_ He wondered, sighing internally. In the month it took him to try and route out a traitor in the house, he had learned far too quickly his lords' intentions for the little princess fox. _Mating._ He scoffed at the idea. _Why would mi'lord mate with a halfling wench?_ He questioned. _If he favors the girl so much or feels he owes her a debt - marry her perhaps, but to choose her as his only by way of mating?_ The idea truly baffled him, as it did with many of the lords and ladies residing in Sesshomaru's domain. No one knew where this girl came from, and there was talk buzzing around about her intentions. About his intentions. No one truly believed that this decision was truth until they learned she had been traveling with him for over a month, that he killed a lord who threatened her, sent men out to find who had tried to poison her.

This fox, this… Kasumi, as she called herself, must be a woman of great worth (even for a halfbreed), for the Great Lord Sesshomaru to risk his great lineage by soiling it with mixed blood.

"Rin, Kasumi," Sesshomaru's deep, rumbling voice drew out Jakken from his thoughts and he returned his attention to the females.

The kit looked up at her Lord, and Jakken could make out the scarce frown on her lips before she looked back down at Rin.

"Remember, Rin. Sisters by heart." Kasumi said, her small frown turning into a smile that could shine through the darkest of days.

"Sisters by heart," Rin nodded in agreement and threw her arms around the kit once more before she stepped back.

Kasumi stood, and with help from Sesshomaru (which once again baffled Jakken), she was upon the two-headed dragon's back. She gripped the reins he handed to her right, the imp catching a glimpse of her twitching fingers before Sesshomaru moved in his way.

"Ah-Uhn will take you back," Sesshomaru spoke quietly to the girl, and dare Jakken say, almost gently. "You needn't worry about where to go, he knows the way."

"A-are you sure?" Kasumi's voice shook, clearly unsure, doubtful of her lords' reassurance.

"If you happen to get lost, I will know right away." He explained, his hand covering one of hers.

"How?" Her voice wavered once more, and as Sesshomaru responded, there was a hint of a smile in his voice.

"I will know, you are mine, remember?" Kasumi's eyes began to roll, but she stopped when she saw the look in his amber gaze. "If you get lost, or hurt, I will know. I will come find you and bring you back myself. No matter what."

Silence passed between them, Kasumi's gaze flickering down to her hand beneath his. Eventually, when she spoke again, it was so soft Jakken could no longer understand them.

"I do not want to get lost again," her eyes met his for a brief moment, letting him catch a glimmer of her fear, before the emerald gems darted away, and back again. "Can't you come with me?"

He was shaking his head before she could finish, and Jakken wondered why he hadn't already left her there. Since when did his lord coddle the feelings of anyone, let alone a halfling woman?

"I've delayed my journey long enough. The faster I finish it, the faster I can return home." He told her. "I will have to do what needs to be done from my travels from now on. I can't delay things anymore. When you get back, have it arranged for someone to teach you how to wield a tessen, and have Usui continue your studies on the other demon lords and our customs."

"When will I get to see you again?" Kasumi hated how needy and desperate she sounded but she had to know. The month she spent with him and Rin had been the best of her life. Running around and playing games with Rin had been what she always wanted to do since she was a little girl, and Sesshomaru was the only man in the world who understood, who knew it was what she needed to be happy, even for a moment, and he granted her that. He gave her what her own father would not do.

Freedom.

A key to understanding herself, believing in what she was capable of doing, the person she could be, and now aspired to be. She wanted to be a woman worthy of a man like Sesshomaru. She _wanted_ to be his mate, his one and only. The idea no longer scared her, it excited her, made her feel as if she had a place, and that place was with him. With Rin, and Usui. Heck, even Jakken, who hardly ever looked at her unless it was with disdain. She had found a family amongst these demons and she couldn't be happier. She was growing to love them.

No.

She was growing to love _him._

Ease fell onto her heart, and the shaking in her hands stopped, and her wavering gaze held his. She placed her other hand on top of his and gently squeezed it. She could see his slight surprise at the small gesture, but it did not cause him to pull away.

"I don't know," he said truthfully. Originally, his plan was to stop by once a month to check in on her and her progress, but the lingering time he spent with her in these woods had caused him to forget the world and his goals. He needed to be apart from her so he could focus on killing Naraku. That meant sending her away, back to his home where she will have to continue to grow without him. "I will see you as often as I can."

She smiled, released a short laugh through her nose, not quite a snort, but was a huff of breath from it that was clearly her scoffing at him.

"You are not a very good liar, my lord." She said, and he growled quietly at her discovery. "But I know you will see me when you think it's necessary." She had a gentle smile on her lips, and he had the strongest urge to bite it off, when she leaned down to him, and pressed that gentle smile onto his mouth. It was the first time she ever tried to kiss him. She was awkward, perhaps a bit clumsy, but she had her intentions and they shined through clearly to him.

His hand was at the nape of her neck, holding her to his level when she parted their lips, and there was a glimmer of mischief in her emerald eyes.

"You aren't allowed to come back until you have completed your task, Lord Sesshomaru." She said, her mischief moving to her lips, again making him want to bite them.

"Are you forbidding me from my own home, little kit?" He asked a brow perked.

"I am. So you must do it quickly, my lord. Or you will miss out on watching me grow." The confidence in her look was enough to have him smile at her, really smile. He knew she was still afraid, for reasons he wasn't privy to, but she was willing to face it if it meant she could be someone better.

He took a step back from Ah-Uhn, and the two-headed dragon took a moment to get a running start before taking off into the sky. He stood there in the air of her absence, staring at her departure, with Rin standing beside him watching as she became a speck in the sky until she was no longer visible.

"I like her," Rin said, smiling up at the sky.

Without missing a beat, or looking away, Sesshomaru responded with his own approval. "Me, too."

* * *

 **Author Note: I know it's been a while guys, and I'm sorry. I don't really have an excuse, but I feel all that matters is that a new chapter is out. Inspiration and motivation struck me at a terrible time as it often does and I busted out this chapter at almost five in the morning.**

 **It's a relatively short chapter I think, compared to others (hell, I don't know anymore), and not a lot really happens in it, more of a filler chapter, but I think it has this short sentimental feeling, and it's finally leading onto the second half of the story. The door of my inspiration and motivation is half closed, now if only the foot behind it will keep it open long enough for me to finish this story so I may turn it into a series that I will also most likely take forever to finish too.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, I wish I could see the next chapter will be out soon, but I won't make a promise I can't keep.**


	24. Chapter 24: Faux Tutor

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Faux Tutor**

* * *

"Speaking"

 _Thinking/Memories_

* * *

 ** _Special Author Shoutout to XNightzxDayX: Thank you for your continued support and reviews. This chapter was only made possible because of you, and the recent review you left me. It warmed my heart and made want to write a chapter just for you._**

* * *

"Lady Kasumi!" Usui's shrill cry of joy pierced Kasumi's ear as a guard helped her off of Ah-Uhn. The yellow kimono oni latched herself onto her lady, squeezing her tightly against her body. "Oh, milady, it has been dreadful around here without you." Usui pulled away from her embrace just long enough to look at Kasumi. "It was beginning to feel as if you had never been here at all."

"Well, I sure hope not," Kasumi said, the guards behind her emptying Ah-Uhn's saddlebags before removing the saddle so the poor beast could rest. "If one aspect of the house is out of place already…" She trailed off leaving the inclination in the air and causing Usui to shake her head and laugh.

"No, I believe you managed to drill the expectations of the house into everyone's head so well that no one will ever let it go to ruins like it was before." She assured her, Kasumi's smile curving her lips.

"Good, I have so much more to do now," her heart squeezed a little at the thought of everything she would need to do and that it meant she would have to set aside her wants again in order to make Sesshomaru proud. "I need a trainer and a proper tutor." She said hastily, entering the Inu Dai Yokai estate and being greeted by an absurd amount of ladies in waiting. "Usui, I trust you can manage that for me?" Kasumi looked back at the oni only to see the uncertainty there.

"I may be able to manage a trainer, milady, but I don't know so much about the tutors. However, I am sure there is someone in the house who will be able to help me in that regard." She tried to give her lady a reassuring smile and though it took Kasumi a moment, she did eventually give a grateful look in return.

"Excellent, have the others bring my things to my rooms at once, I'm going to check in with the house ladies and the groundskeepers."

"But, milady, that wing of the house is forbidden to others…" Usui's soft disapproval stopped Kasumi in her haste to get to work.

"Well, then I suppose you can take them there, and make sure the only room they go to is my own," Kasumi said giving a short nod to Usui before she parted, her now ridiculously large entourage following behind her.

"Milady has been gone for such a long time, yet she acts as if she had never even left." Usui smiles at the thought and hurried to do what was asked of her.

* * *

It took Usui less than a week to find a trainer for her lady's tessen lessons, and then another half to find a proper tutor. With all the lords and ladies of the area, Usui hadn't expected it to be that difficult to find someone willing to teach the Lady of the Western Lands, yet it seemed no one was willing to admit a halfbreed could do the job as mate of the Great Lord Sesshomaru. Many disbelieved in Lord Sesshomaru's choice and many more disbelieved in Lady Kasumi. It would be a difficult task for Kasumi to win over the other lords and would likely be a life long battle for her to hold their approvals.

Usui believed in her more than anyone. She was her biggest and loudest cheerleader and right behind her was her own father, though he was much more reticent in his support. Kasumi's trips to the kitchens didn't stop and during those small breakfasts between the three of them, Onaga gave her subtle advice and encouragements.

It was all Kasumi needed to keep her hopes up.

Once training for her started on how to properly wield her tessen, her free time became less and less. Early mornings she cleaned the western wing of the house that Sesshomaru forbade any servants from entering, and after she would make her ways to the kitchens where her and Onaga would make breakfast for them before she would part so Onaga could begin preparing meals for everyone else of the house. After eating, she would train in the yard for an hour, resume her normal duties until lunch, where she would eat with her entourage of eight ladies in waiting and six guards while her trainer would tutor her in fighting tactics. Once her meal was done, she would train with the tessen again for another hour before she would return to her duties, going to lessons she could take without a proper tutor.

Now that a week and a half has gone by, she had that proper tutor and she was anxious to meet them.

"Are you sure he is okay with tutoring me?" Kasumi asked as Usui straightened out her robes. During Kasumi's absence in the house, Usui had made orders for new robes to be made for her lady that resembled Sesshomaru's, furthering the reminder that the fox was indeed the intended for the inu lord. Red and white went beautifully with Kasumi's dark hair, the silk fabric shimmered against her white skin and refined her beauty till she looked less like a kit, and more like a woman.

"He better be okay with it, otherwise milord will have his head, as I'm sure he'll want to do with everyone else when he learns that no one else was willing to help you." Usui took Genko and Shakko and slid it gingerly into Kasumi's obi, the sleek black metal adorning her adult like fashion.  
"You're probably right, but no one should do anything they don't want to simply because of fear." Kasumi lowered her arms as she was ordered to do so and Usui took a moment to look her lady in the eye.

"If only that was the way the world worked. Everyone does things out of fear. Humans live in fear of dying, and demons live in fear of the demons above them."

Kasumi tried not to argue back, almost having to physically bite back her tongue when Usui finally decided she was ready to go out and meet her tutor.

"It will be fine, milady. I'm sure of it." She began to lead her out towards the study near the western wing.

"Have you met him yet?" Kasumi asked.

"No, but I am sure everything will work out best." She assures her, opening the doors to the study, and standing aside to allow Kasumi to enter first.

Inside Sesshomaru's study were a total of four guards, guards Kasumi didn't recognize but knew to be members of Sesshomaru's house. Between the four of them was a tall, dark-haired man looking about the room in obvious admiration. She took a moment to admire the mans backside, his hair reaching well past his waist despite its tied position atop his head, the wavy locks curling around his sides. He turned his head to gaze over his shoulder, and simple earth colored eyes settled onto Kasumi. They smiled at her, warm and smooth like honey, a gentleness she had never seen look so beautiful on a man before.

"You must be Lady Kasumi," he spoke turning to face her fully and much like his eyes, his voice was warmth given sound and gentle like the softest of silk. He bowed his head to her, his bangs covering the roundness of his face for a moment before he looked back up at her.

Kasumi was trapped in his eyes, too stunned to form words as the corners of his lips tilted up ever so slightly to form a smile. There was so much kindness in this man, she could do nothing but awkwardly present herself.

"H-hello, I am Lady Kasumi Ishikawa," she bowed to him as gracefully as she could manage given her shock. A gentle chuckle had her looking up at him just to see that kind smile had turned amused.

"A pleasure, my lady. I am Lord Kagewaki Hitomi, your new tutor." He hid his amusement well in his voice, but Kasumi knew better. She had embarrassed herself already.

"H-Hitomi…? Isn't that a human household?" She observed, trying to make it seem as if she wasn't completely clueless.

"It was until the estate was destroyed by a demon I once trusted," he explained. "He may have betrayed me and my fathers name, but he did teach me a lot about demon households."

Kasumi tried not to breathe a sigh of relief and failed, Lord Kagewaki picking up immediately on it and chuckling once more.

"Relieved I am not a demon?" He asked her.

"N-not relieved, per se. More like… less intimidated. If it were a demon lord teaching me things I would be wrought with worry and fearful I would not learn fast enough." She rubbed her forehead. "With a human teaching me, I feel much more at ease in knowing I can't embarrass myself in front of one of the demon lords of this foreign land."

"It is an understandable reason to be relieved then, my lady." This time when she noticed his smile, there was only kindness she saw, sending relief washing through her once more. "Now, shall we begin?" He gestured to a spot in front of him that was only a simple empty desk, no scrolls or books, or even parchment and ink. Sensing her confusing as he sat, he spoke up. "I thought it best if we learned about each other first before we started lessons, so I can get a better understanding of what you already know."

"I…" She looked behind her, hoping Usui would be there only to discover the oni had gone, leaving her alone with Lord Kagewaki and her guards. Cautiously she sat across from him seiza style, neatly keeping her robes in place. "Very well, Lord Kagewaki."

"I think, given the circumstances, you may call me Kagewaki, my lady." He said, gesturing to one of the guards to bring them tea.

"Y-yes, of course, y-you may call me Kasumi as well then." She flushed, looking down at her lap.

"If that is what you wish, my lady, I will do so. Now," he stopped when tea was placed between them, and he began to pour her cup for her.

"I believe I should be the one doing this, Kagewaki." She mentioned and he only shook his head at her.

"Nonsense. A demon of your rank would never pour her own tea, only her lords. Everyone else is to pour hers." He explained, setting the tea kettle down and presenting her cup. "I know in human households it's much different. This tells me you must have at least grown up in one. I believe Ishikawa is the name of the Eastern Lord. What was his name again…?" Kagewaki trailed off while pouring his own tea and Kasumi felt a familiar pang in her heart.

"Kazuhiro…." She said quietly. "Lord Kazuhiro Ishikawa, Daimyō of the East."

"Yes, that's right. I take it he is your father then?" Kagewaki asked, sipping his tea.

"In a manner of speaking, yes." Kasumi looked away from the man, and when he asked her no further questions she began to explain to him the situation of her past and how she came to be the intended mate of a demon lord far from her homeland. It took hours to explain as he told her he wanted to know every detail.

She spared none and the more she told him what had happened to her, the easier it got to relax around him. She spoke to him like she did Usui, with no reservations of her behavior, as if he was just another friend to her that was willing to hear her tale. By the end of it, they had gone through two teapots and were halfway through the third.

"As you can see, Kagewaki, I'm a bit out of my element here. What I think I know about how a Lady should behave is almost the exact opposite of what is expected of a demon court woman." She sighed into her warm cup of tea.

"Now I understand why finding a tutor is so important for someone your age. I assumed you were far older than your appearance. To think, you are only twenty years of age. Not that you look older, Kasumi. You never truly know with demons." Kagewaki said causing Kasumi to smile.

"You are right, imagine my shock when I discovered my Lord Sesshomaru is over 900 years old. I truly understand now why he refers to me as a child. That's all I really am in his eyes." A bitter smile crossed her lips.

"How long have you been with him now?"

"So much time has passed between us, it feels as if no time has passed at all," she admitted with a laugh. "But with the changing of the seasons, I say it has to have been eight cycles now."

"Eight months. You two have grown attached then?" Kagewaki's gentle prodding had Kasumi flushing. While she spoke to him before about everything that's happened to her, not once did he ask any questions. She had been so detailed, there wasn't any to be had but when it came to Sesshomaru… she left out plenty.

"I would like to believe so… Maybe more on my part than his? It's hard to tell. I don't really understand demon mating customs but he continues to make claims of possession. Reminding me that I am his alone, telling me he will…" Her cheeks darkened as if what she spoke of was truly perverse. "Telling me he will cover me in his scent so every demon will know I belong to him. Yet… I cannot see him being the type of man who would truly want anyone to share his life with. I believe I am only a means of getting what he wants."

"And what do you think he wants?" Kasumi frowned at this question, looking deeper into her tea as if it had the answers to life itself.

"I believe he only wants to mate with me so that the other lords will leave him alone about marriage. I believe his only intentions with me is to act as if he is taken so that he can focus on doing what he truly wants. To kill Naraku."

"Naraku?" Kagewaki sat back, surprise in his leather worn eyes.

"Yes, he is apparently a demon worth fearing, and a demon who has made a dangerous enemy out of my lord." She explained.

"Yes, Naraku has been known to use the people he encounters, and kills everyone who stands in his way." Kagewaki sighed and this caused Kasumi to stare at him in confusion. "I never did get to mention it to yet, have I? The demon who taught me what I know, what I will teach you, is the one and only Naraku. I trusted him, but he betrayed me, brought demons into my home the possessed my father, became the sole cause as to why the demon slayer clan has been all but wiped out. He tricked them into a slaughter in my very courtyard, all so he could raid their village to get the Shikon no Tama they had." His brows furrowed to show his troubles and Kasumi gave him a sympathetic look.

"We are all guilty of trusting the wrong person once or twice in our lives, it is no fault of yours what this demon has done to your house, or to those of the demon slayers." Kasumi placed a gentle hand on top of his, and the two of them held a gentle smile together for a moment before Kasumi moved her hand away and stood. "I'm afraid I must leave now, Kagewaki." She apologized as he stood up. "I have other duties to attend to. I look forward to our future conversations and lessons." She bowed to him leaving the room once he returned it and the four guards followed behind her.

As her back was facing him, Kagewaki stood straight, his dark gaze boring into her back, and a wicked grin splayed across his lips.

 _And so our new game begins, Sesshomaru. What will you do once I've taken your little fox? If I was able to get so close to absorbing you when I took Rin, I wonder how far I will be able to go while I hold this kit hostage?_


	25. Chapter 25: Unlikely Allies

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Unlikely Allies**

* * *

"Speaking"

 _Thinking/Memories_

 _'beast talking/thinking'_

* * *

"Hiraikotsu!" The sound of the bone boomerang whirling through the air was disrupted only by the sound of it crushing through the body of a large demon, tearing it in half.

As the body began to reform a shining pink light pierced through its core, dispersing the body in its purifying light. The other demons shuttered away from the light forming their retreat only to be met by a white hair, red-clothed demon with a sword twice his size.

"Wind Scar!" With one fell swoop of the club size blade, scars of the earth slashed through the horde of demons creating a hole in the small army.

"There's too many of them!" Sango cried out from her perch atop Kiara.

"If only the Saimyōshō weren't here!" Miroku bashed a demons head in with his staff, then through sutras at a few more coming towards him. There was the buzzing of the Saimyōshō in the air, the poisonous bugs doing nothing but floating in the sky to prevent Miroku from dispatching the horde of demons easily.

"Just sit back, Miroku," the smugness in Inuyasha's voice was hard to miss as he slashed down a few more of the demons. "All your good for is that wind tunnel of yours, your useless if you can't use it."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome's disapproved shriek came from across the battlefield and it caused the hanyo to wince.

"What I meant is don't try anything stupid!" He tried covering for himself as Kiara landed beside Miroku and Sango and he rolled their eyes at Inuyasha.

It took a few more strikes with Tessaiga and Hiraikotsu for the horde to be gone, with a few of the Saimyōshō fleeing.

"We must be getting close to Naraku, what with all these demons coming out of nowhere." Miroku panted, watching as the bugs flew off into the sky and out of their line of sight.

"Well, we'd know for sure if we didn't waste all that time looking for that princess." Inuyasha sheathed his sword and crossed his arms, his annoyance evident on his face.

"Waste our time? She got kidnapped and we were supposed to be there to help her family!" Kagome yelled at him, putting her bow and quiver aside and glare up at him.

"Well we spent weeks looking and we lost track of Naraku's scent," Inuyasha argued back.

Miroku and Sango sat down against the shade of a nearby tree, watching as the two began to argue once again about the Princess Kasumi who disappeared in the night.

"Here they go again," the monk sighed, crossing his legs as he watched his friends begin a screaming match.

"How do you think this one will end? Will she storm away, or make him sit?" Shippo sat between Sango and Miroku, yet another viewer for the fight.

"My money is on her telling him to sit," Miroku wagered.

"I think she'll storm off, probably go home," Sango tossed in.

"My bets she'll do both," Shippo said.

The group waited, ignoring the words being shouted as it was typically a repetition of previous fights over the last several months. It didn't end until Kagome told Inuyasha to sit, and she stormed away from the group and into the trees.

Annoyed, Sango and Miroku handed over the only currency worth giving to him. Sweets. Sweets that Kagome had brought back from her world to share with her friends. Sweets that were meant for everyone and Shippo kept managing to get his hands on everyone else.

"Hehehe, a pleasure doing business with you two," Shippo unwrapped a sucker and popped it into his mouth before he ran off towards Kagome while Inuyasha eventually made his way towards Sango and Miroku.

"Really, Inuyasha, haven't you learned anything yet?" Miroku questioned with his arms crossed.

"Shut-up, we wasted time looking for that girl and you know it." Inuyasha plopped down further away from them.

"It wasn't a waste of time to Kagome, Inuyasha. She was an innocent girl who got kidnapped by demons. Demons we were supposed to protect her from." Sango agreed with Kagome that it was important to follow through protecting people you swore to protect. She remembered how close she had been to grabbing her, if it hadn't been for that demon, Kasumi would be safe. Her home had been destroyed and her father killed but she would have been out of the reach of the demons. Now, for all they knew she was dead and that meant they failed.

"We can't protect everyone who we encounter," Inuyasha grumbled.

"But that doesn't mean we should give up without even trying. You know Kagome believes in that." Sango reminded him which caused the hanyo to growl in disapproval.

A long awkward silence passed between the group as they waited for Kagome to return. Miroku and Sango had laid out a picnic and were munching on the snacks their Miko friend brought for them when an odd chill filled the air. Collectively, three sets of eyes rose up to see the white silken hair of Sesshomaru.

He was staring off into the distance when his head turned to look at his little brother and his friends, his blank expression unchanging.

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha jumped up, instantly drawing his sword out to which Sesshomaru scoffed at.

"I have better things to do that fight you," Sesshomaru said as Jakken came out from the trees, panting heavily.

"My… my lord…" he huffed bending over as he tried catching his breath.

"Jakken, where's Rin?" Sesshomaru asked pointedly.

"I-" Jakken started but with a glare from Sesshomaru he turned back and hurried back through the trees.

"Sesshomaru," at the mention of his name the demon lord turned back till his eyes fell upon the monk who called him. "Are you out here looking for Naraku too?"

"Miroku, shut up!" Inuyasha yelled at the monk.

"It's of no concern to you," Sesshomaru looked off into the distance again, silencing any further questions as he waited for Jakken to return with his ward.

It's been months since he parted with Kasumi and if he thought he was unfocused before, then he had been sorely proven wrong. The first weeks were terrible as her scent faded from his clothes and the sound of her laughter no longer sang to him. He aimlessly made his way out of the woods, vaguely recalling fighting demon hordes that smelled like Naraku. He let each fight lead him farther and farther away from the place where she smelled the strongest, driving him closer and closer to the east. He knew he was a silent person, but with her absence, he noticed the quiet more, dreaded that the sound of her voice wasn't playing with his ears. He never stopped walking, even when Rin needed to rest and eat he kept going, letting the girl and imp catch up on their own.

Now here he was beside his brother and his terrible group, and all he could care to think of was his kit.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin's high pitched cheer drew him out of thought long enough for him to look back at her. She was running with her hand in the miko's, dragging her along till they stood beside him. "Lord Sesshomaru! She says she knows onee-san!"

"Oh?" Sesshomaru questioned, kneeling in front of Rin. "Does she now?"

"Yeah! She said she met Onee-san's papa!" Rin was excited to be able to talk about Kasumi. She always was talking about her, telling Jakken stories of their trip with her.

"Kagome, what the hell is going on?" Inuyasha hurried to her side, not liking how close she was standing to Sesshomaru.

"Kasumi," Kagome said a smile on her face. "Rin told me that Kasumi lives at Sesshomaru's home."

"What, keeping the company of two little human girls now?" Inuyasha smirked with his arms crossed.

Sesshomaru didn't say anything as he stayed in front of Rin while she animatedly spoke about how excited she was the Miko knew her big sister. She kept going on until eventually, Kagome asked her if she was hungry. With an excited yes, Kagome lead Rin away, leaving Sesshomaru to his quiet thoughts.

"So, Rin, how did Sesshomaru meet Kasumi?" Kagome asked, getting ready to make the girl ramen despite Inuyasha's annoyed look.

"Onee-san said he saved her when she didn't want him to. Kasumi said that now she owes him some sort of debt for it." Rin said, beginning to pick nearby flowers while she spoke.

"It's great that he saved her, but why did he bring her back to his home, and not you too when he saved you?" The Miko pressed, curious to the interworking of Sesshomaru's mind.

Rin only shrugged. "I don't know," she started. "But I think it's because she's a half demon and I'm not."

"Wait, What?!" The whole group dropped what they were doing and watched Rin, who timidly looked between them all.

"She is not a half-demon. We met her, she didn't smell like one." Inuyasha concluded and huffed, arms crossing as he plopped down on the grass, finally looking away from Sesshomaru who still hadn't moved.

"Well she traveled with us for almost two months, and when the half-moon came, her hair turned black and her eyes turned brown." Rin sat down once she collected enough flowers and began to braid them together.

"She had brown hair and eyes when we met her," Inuyasha said, thinking that would put everything to rest and that this girl was stupid.

"Every other time she had yellow and black hair, and a really long yellow and black tail. She also had really pretty green eyes! Sesshomaru said they make him think of jewels!"

"Sesshomaru said that?" the group questioned together. They all turned to look at the brooding lord, who stared off at the sky as if he was expecting something or someone to come from the clouds.

 _If only a man would say that to me…_ Both Sango and Kagome thought as their eyes trailed off to Miroku and Inuyasha

While the females sighed at the romantic idea of men that complimented just for their eyes, the men went about eating, ignoring what they thought was a normal attitude for Sesshomaru.

"How did you three wind up here?" Miroku questioned the imp, who sat closely beside Rin.

"Lord Sesshomaru said he could smell Naraku over this way. We have been running into several of his Saimyōshō." Jakken said, watching the group closely. Once more he couldn't understand his lords' intentions. Yes, it was true they followed demon hordes and saimyōshō up to this point, but why stay? It baffled him. He was so unlike the lord he had come and know over the years. In such a short amount of time, he almost didn't recognize the bleary-eyed man he had become. All because of this girl. It was like Sesshomaru didn't care if he went after Naraku or not anymore. He felt a rushing of wind, and his head quickly snapped towards his lord, only to find that he had disappeared from his spot in the grass.

"Where did he go?" Inuyasha shot up, a hand on his sword.

"To her, most like. They've been parted for several months and my lord has yet to think of anything else besides her. She has cast a spell on him, charmed him. I'm sure in time he will forget all about his grudge against Naraku."

"Good! Lord Sesshomaru deserves to be happy! And I'm happy that Lord Sesshomaru is happy with Kasumi. I like her." Rin said.

"So long as he doesn't get in my way with killing Naraku, I don't care what he does," Inuyasha said.

"Well, don't you find it a bit odd that he found us? It's almost like Naraku is leading us together." Miroku suggested.

"Now, why would he want to do that?" Shippo asked, looking up at the monk.

"That's a very good question. Rin, you and Jakken can stay with us until Sesshomaru comes back, okay?" Kagome smiled at Rin, who smiled back. But the question remained in the air, why would Naraku lead them together? And was that really his intention?

* * *

Loud, terrible screeching ripped across the quiet afternoon, the birds that settled in the trees of the garden fleeing at the ear-shattering cry.

"Kasumi!" Kagewaki's voice broke through the shrieking and he dashed into the garden to see her huddled up against the garden walls, a large wasp was hovering near her. Kagewaki sighed heavily, walking over to her and pulling her up into his arms. "My lady, it's just a Saimyōshō." He said, straightening out her robes and her hair. "It won't harm you."

"I don't care what it is! Get rid of it! It's huge!" She screamed, quickly hiding behind Kagewaki. He stared at the bug for a moment, and they seemed to share a silent conversation before he started waving his hands at it, trying to get it to go away.

"Go on, shoo. You're scaring my lady," he said and slowly, the giant bug passed on its own. Kagewaki turned to face the cowering fox who had her hands in front of her face. "It's gone, Kasumi."

Cautiously she peeked out from behind her fingers and examined their surroundings before she finally relaxed. Kagewaki chuckled at her.

"Don't laugh at me," she tried to chastise him but her fingers still shook. He only laughed more and she glared at him. "It was huge! Way too big for a bug!"

"It's nothing to fear, Kasumi. Believe me, if it wanted to hurt you, it would have." Kagewaki smiled at her. "I take it you want to have your lessons inside today?"

"Yes, please before someone comes out here only to laugh at me for being scared of a… what did you call it?" Kasumi breathed a sigh of relief again as Kagewaki lead her back inside the estate.

"A Saimyōshō, Kasumi. A demon wasp." He explained to her.

"Ugh, is there a demon version of everything?" She asked him, letting him take her up to the study for their daily lessons. She was grateful that her ladies in waiting didn't bug her when she walked through the gardens, and that they left her alone during her training and lessons. She did not want an audience to her bug freak out.

"Basically," Kagewaki chuckled again, sitting down at his desk, and she sat across from him. She decided she quite enjoyed his laugh, despite that it was at her expense, it made her feel less ashamed of her reaction. "Now today, we have the family names to go over today."

"Yes, of course…" Kasumi sighed as he placed out a map in front of her of the country.

"Tell me the western lords, first," Kagewaki said.

"Yes," she looked over the map, examining the western area and then her gaze flicking over to the east and the vast distance between them. "The Daimyō of the west is the Inu no Daiyōkai Tōga."

"I thought it was supposed to be Lord Sesshomaru?" Kagewaki asked her, knowing it was only a trick.

"The Great Dog General has passed and is survived through his sons Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. His eldest son, Sesshomaru is not fully recognized as the Daimyō of the west since he has yet taken on the full responsibility of his position. The Great Dog General had a human wife, Izayoi who has passed, and a mate, whose name is not in any records but is alive. Her whereabouts are unknown to anyone in this world, apart from her son, Sesshomaru."

"Good, now who is below the great dog family?" Kagewaki asked.

"Hikazemon, the previous lord, Utada was killed by Lord Sesshomaru, and he is survived by his eldest son, Keijiro Hikazemon, named the new lord of the house after his fathers passing, and his twin daughters Mitsuki and Mitsuyo. Mitsuyo is married to the young Lord Sadao."

"And his other daughter?" He asked.

Kasumi sighed at this. "Lord Hikazemon planned on marrying Mitsuyo to Lord Sesshomaru to secure their loyalty to the new lord of the west."

"Alright, now let us move to the east," he pointed to the eastern side of the country. "You mentioned Lord Sadao, who is his family?"

She took in a deep breath. "L-lord Sadao… His father is Lord Tomosue, current Daimyō of the East. His wife and mate are Sadako Hokama, an eastern lords daughter. They married so Lord Tomosue could get their lands. Their two oldest are twins, Sadao, named after his mother, and their daughter Tomoka, named after their father. They have a second daughter, named Emi, unmarried and lives in the home with them. A second son named Ryūhei, who is mated to Matsuko. A demoness who isn't from any formal line. The two live at her ancestral home far away in the south."

"You're forgetting someone," Kagewaki raised an eyebrow at her, and she furrowed hers at him.

"Do I really have to do this part?" She asked him.

"Yes, all of the names. You are apart of their family line too." He pointed out, which only made the young kit sigh in disapproval.

"Fine… Lord Tomosue has another daughter, Kasumi Ishikawa, born from a human woman who was married to a human Eastern Lord." Kasumi said quietly, wanting to hurry up an move onto the other lords.

"I thought mated demons didn't sleep with anyone other than their mates?" Kagewaki questioned.

"They don't, unless in cases like Lord Tōga with Izayoi, who he married. But my father wasn't mated to Lady Sadako when he met my mother. He and Lady Sadako were married for thousands of years. Their son and daughter are older than Lord Sesshomaru. They only became mates… a week after my mother was dead." A week after my birth. _It took him only a week to get past my mothers' death before he moved on. A week to decide to abandon me._ This was always one of her least favorite parts of her lessons. Learning the truth.

Sesshomaru told her in the past that she had older siblings. She never disbelieved that but learning about them solidified that there was a whole part of her family she never knew about, was never really allowed to learn about. She has sisters. And brothers. A stepmom.

The thought of a mother, even a stepmother hurt her heart, squeezed it until tears sprang to her eyes.

A mother… A mother who probably taught her children loved her children. Spent every moment she could with her children. Coddled them as babies, watched them grow into the adults they are now.

"Can… can we stop for today…?" Kasumi asked softly, staring down at the map he had laid between them.

"Kasumi, you can't stop every lesson after talking about your fathers family." Kagewaki's disapproval was clear in his voice.

"Can we take a break then…?" Her gaze never lifted up to meet his, but she knew he was giving her a look of pity. Who wouldn't? She was green with envy.

 _There's Kyah… There is always Kyah._ Sure, Kyah wasn't really her mother, but she was as much of a mother as any girl could ask for. She was there for her through everything. Until she wasn't. How many years will it be until she can think of Kyah without feeling bitter anger?

"Perhaps we can take a walk outside? Fresh air might help you a bit, Kasumi." Kagewaki suggested. "Maybe around the stables, so we don't have to worry about the bugs in the garden?"

"Yes, outside sounds good…" She said, and the two rose.

Kagewaki silently led her outside into the courtyard, then towards the stable. Neither of them said anything to each other and Kasumi welcomed the silence. Over the last several months, Kagewaki has been an unexpected friend and mentor. He was kind, and gentle, and understood her emotions better than anyone here. He treated her with the gentle pushing of an older brother, encouraging her in everything she did, ensuring she took care of her body as well as her mind. He became her support system faster than Usui did, and she didn't even feel the need to constantly have her lady in waiting by her side. Usui could finally go about her normal duties without worrying about Kasumi.

In its own way that was bad. It meant the two didn't see each other as often. Especially since Kasumi took her mornings with Kagewaki to add in more lessons for her, giving her hardly any time to do what she liked.

The kit took in a deep, slow breath and turned her eyes up, watching the clouds cover the blue sky. The sun warmed her skin, curled her tail and flattened her ears, covering her body in its heat which relaxed her more than any conversation could do. She told Kagewaki about her walks with Kyah in the courtyards before, now whenever she needed a breath of fresh air during their lessons, he took her out here, to hear the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Except for today, it was… quiet.

Kasumi stopped walking and looked around them, noticing that no one was in sight. Actually, were they even near the stables?

She whipped around sharply, looking all around her and not seeing the manor anywhere. She looked up at Kagewaki, fear in her eyes.

"Kagewaki, where are we?" She asked, breathing in sharply.

"Don't worry, it's just for a walk outside the manor. A change of scenery." He smiled at her again, and there was a hint of cruelness there she didn't recognize. She took her arm away from his and took a few feet away from him.

"Take me back, Kagewaki. Right now." She demanded, trying to flex her title at him, but he only laughed. The gentle laugh she had known was warped, dripping with malice and without humor.

"You want me to take you back, Kasumi?" He asked her and when she nodded he took a step closer to her, her heart sinking when his eyes opened and all she saw was red. "Why would I do that?"

She screamed as loud as she could manage before he jumped onto her, covering her mouth with his hand, and covering her body with darkness.

* * *

Putrid death. Demon hordes, blood, and mutated flesh. The horrible, disgusting stench of Naraku.

Sesshomaru was probably still miles away from his estate when the smell hit his nose, stronger than any stench he's caught from the man so far, quite possibly due to the fact that it was only puppets and incarnations he's met so far.

No, this stench was the same stench as the man he met when the wind witch kidnapped his Rin. This was the real Naraku. And he was at his estate.

He didn't need to be there to know he was there, he simply knew.

His pace quickened, he was running faster than he ever has before in his life. He was at the estate in a manner of minutes, and people were roaming around as if nothing was wrong. As if they had no idea the danger they were in.

"Lady Kasumi," he grabbed the first person he could, his words an angered growl. The guard gulped.

"L-Lady Kasumi typically has lessons in the early afternoon… S-She should be in the study with Lord Kagewaki." The guard stammered and Sesshomaru dropped him, quickly making his way into the study. His kit's smell was nowhere in the house, it was completely masked by the putrid stench of Naraku. Every hallway he walked through, each room he passed by, every person he encountered reeked.

He slammed open the door to his study, which still had the vague warm smell of his kit and the cold distinct stink of Naraku.

"Where is he?!" Sesshomaru shouted into the hall, scaring the daylights out of a court woman. Through the red haze of his anger, he recognized her as Usui and he was on that girl in seconds, his hand on her neck, pinning her to a wall. "Where is he?" He growled at her. She dropped whatever was in her hands and gripped his wrist desperately trying to get herself free as she struggled for air. "Where is he?!" He yelled at her this time, finding it difficult to rein in his demon now. They were intuned with each other.

"I-I… d-don't…" Usui struggled to form words as she kicked her feet, her dark skin turning pale, her lips turning purple before Sesshomaru dropped her, letting her crumbled in front of his feet.

"Where. Is. He?" He asked, tone clipped with impatience and anger.

"I don't… know who you mean…" she rasped and he growled, picking her up by the hair and lifting her to meet his red-eyed gaze.

"My kit, where is my kit?" He snapped. "Who is this Kagewaki?"

"H-Her tutor." She gripped his hands in her hair, eyes tearing up. "They take walks in the gardens. In the courtyard after lessons."

He growled lowly. "Who brought this man here?"

"M-Me… no one would teach her. H-he… was the only one willing." She stared up at him, for the first time since Kasumi's arrival she was afraid for her life.

"You've just killed Kasumi." He growled, dropped her again, turning sharply to sniff out Naraku, and hopefully his kit.

"W-Who is he…?" She asked, a hand on her throat.

"The man I've been trying to kill," he growled at her before leaving her in the hallway.

* * *

"Oh, Come on! Can't we ever get a break from this?!" Inuyasha's voice of annoyance broke through the sounds of battle.

Kagura was giggling as she set wave after wave of after Kagome, forcing Inuyasha to protect her, and preventing him from dispelling her attacks. All he could manage to protect his woman was to use his sword as a shield.

And the occasional time Kagome fired an arrow, which would dispel her winds for a while, horde after horde of demons would come after them, giving her just enough time to be able to summon her winds again.

It was the perfect plan of attack, keep Inuyasha distracted while Sango struggled to fight her brother, while Miroku struggled to defeat the horde of demons outside the battle between her and Inuyasha. The Saimyōshō was perfect in the role, but more than that, every time the demons were cut in half by Inuyasha, a little of Naraku's miasma would enter the air.

Jakken had taken Rin into the trees and was protecting her with his life while she hid, unable to fight for herself, and fearful that she'd be taken again. The first time she was, Lord Sesshomaru almost lost his life, she didn't want that to happen to him again. So she stayed with Jakken, occasionally beating a demon with a large rock if she had to but she let the imp protect her from the army of demons.

"What a time for Lord Sesshomaru to be gone," Jakken whispered, holding his staff tightly in his hands. "If he were here, this fight would be over quickly."

Rin thought as much as well, and she looked over at Inuyasha and Kagome as he tried destroying another wave of demons that rushed them, collapsing onto his knee.

"Lord Sesshomaru, where are you…?" Rin whispered a plea for her lords' protection.

A mangled screech pierced through the air and the winds that had been swirling in the air ceased abruptly, clearing only to find a very large, white dog pinning the wind witch down.

"Kagura!" Kohaku called her name, trying to go after her but was stopped by Sango's Hiraikotsu.

The demon dog dissipated to reveal a red-eyed Sesshomaru with his poison claws digging into Kagura's neck.

The battle stopped abruptly. In his sudden appearance, Sesshomaru had taken down the horde of demons, not focusing on anyone else in the fight apart from Kagura. The witch that reeked of Naraku.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin declared happily, ready to skip up to him but Jakken stopped her.

"No, you mustn't get near him, Rin." He said watching with fear in his eyes at the anger in Sesshomaru's. He hadn't even spoken yet, but there was a deadly intent in how he held Kagura, so close to crushing her windpipe; so close to ripping her throat out. He could just as easily bite her head off.

"Sesshomaru! What the hell are you doing?! That's my fight!" Inuyasha yelled struggling to stand up. Sesshomarus response to him was a harsh growl that pierced the silence gathering around them.

"Inuyasha, I think we should stay out of this." Kagome tried reasoning with him, keeping her hands on his shoulders.

The group watched as Kagura struggled, clawing at his hand, her fan at his feet, her legs kicking and struggling. And the anger.

There was nothing on Sesshomaru's face besides anger. His face had warped to that of a demon, his curled grin showing every sharp fang in his mouth, his nose slowly formed into a snout, his red piercing eyes holding Kagura in place.

"Where is he?" There was something chilling in the calm way he spoke to her. They all saw the anger and deadly intent, and yet it was that calmness that really chilled the blood.

"I don't know!" She struggled to breathe, to form words. The fact that she wasn't gasping as much as he liked had him squeeze her throat harder. "I-I don't know!" She yelled again, struggling desperately to free herself.

Sesshomaru threw her far across the field where she slammed into a tree, and she was pinned again as Sesshomaru's sword Tōkijin pierced between her breasts. She cried out, unable to stop the blade as it slid deeper into her. She may not have a heart, but this had to be what it felt like to be stabbed through one.

Her throat was sizzling from his poison claws, and her body felt like it was being split apart by his sword.

"I don't know where he is!" Kagura yelled again, unable to look away from the intensity of his gaze. He would kill her if he didn't get what he wanted from her.

"You better learn soon," he threatened, sliding the sword in her ever deeper still. She cried out again, and this time it wasn't her who spoke.

"I can take you to her," from across the field Kohaku spoke and in half a heartbeat he was standing in front of the child, his sword sheathed and Kagura on her knees coughing out blood.

"Where is she?" He asked. The only reason why he wasn't strangling the kid for information was that he promised Rin he wouldn't kill him. But he wanted to. Hearing the little shit tell him he knew where his kit was made him want to tear him apart, knowing full well the kid wouldn't die. He wanted to keep tearing, letting him heal and tearing him some more. Always bringing him close to death but never finishing it. It was better than killing him, and his demon growled within him, pleased with the idea.

Kohaku looked up at Sango, who had yet to let him pass, then back at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru took this moment to grab Hiraikotsu and fling it across the field, then daring the demon slayer to cross him.

"Naraku is south. He plans on bringing here there, where he intends to take everything she can offer you." Kohaku's dead gaze met Sesshomaru' and the demon lord growled his disapproval.

 _If he harms one hair on my kit's precious head, I will end him._ Sesshomaru and his beast both agreed.

When they rescued their kit, they would finish Naraku right then.

* * *

 **AUTHOR STUFF: CLIFF HANGER!**

 **CONGRATS YA'LL YOU FINALLY GOT TO THE BANE OF MY CREATIVE EXISTENCE.**

 **I have been dying to get to this part for so long and honestly this chapter right here is the reason why I've procrastinated so long. I've been so excited for this part all I've wanted to do is write it and post it and let you all STEW IN THE CLIFF HANGER.**

 **This has been where my brains been at for months now.**

 **This is NOT the final chapter, however, I probably won't be writing a new chapter anytime soon. Because yes,**

 **I wish to sit behind my cliff hanger and laugh maniacally while you guys sit there and squirm until I post a new one.**

 **Evil? Mayhaps.**

 **Rude?**

 **Oh hell yessss but I don't care~**

 **I hope you all enjoy and thank you, everyone, for your continued Support now here's your payback!**


	26. Chapter 26: Our Beginning

**!AUTHOR NOTE PLEASE READ BEFORE STARTING CHAPTER!**

Okay, so I've debated doing this for weeks now since the last chapter. I've talked to a few friends who read the story, and they all really enjoy this chapter.

But they also don't think I should post it. Normally, I take my friends' advice into SERIOUS consideration, and usually, I agree with them. But I have been sitting on this for what feels like forever (really its only been about the time it took me to write my last chapter), and I've finally decided that I'm just going to post this anyway. But there are a couple of **WARNINGS** you should read up on before deciding to continue.

 **WARNING** **1)** This chapter **IS NOT a continuation from the previous chapter.** This chapter I wrote for fun, however, if you were to see this in the anime, this would be called a filler episode. Everything in this chapter is a filler, something I wrote because of inspiration and I couldn't really stop myself.

 **WARNING 2)** This chapter **DOES NOT INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING CHARACTERS:** Kasumi, Sesshomaru, Rin, Jakken, Ah-Uhn, Usui, Kagome, Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kirara, Naraku, Kohaku, Kagura.

 **WARNING 3)** This chapter is not about our main story. This chapter I wrote for Kasumi's mother, believing she was worthy of having her own story to be told to. This chapter is about Yuriko when she was Kasumi's age.

I would like to continue writing this filler, and I may post the next couple of chapters (depending I'm not sure how many) following this story before continuing to the main. I would post this as its own Story, however, I do not believe it will be long enough. Therefore, the chapters following Yuriko's life will be named Our Beginning, with parts to their respective amount of chapters.

 **I WILL BE CONTINUING THE MAIN STORY!**

I just felt that this was something I needed to do. Something I really wanted to do and share.

Now, I won't be offended if you choose to skip this chapter in favor of staying true to the main story. I would love it if everyone read this, But I understand no one really enjoys fillers too much and won't hold it against anyone. So without further ado, please enjoy...

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Six: Our Beginning**

 _Twenty-two years ago_

Warm breezes brushed through the tree leaves, whisking away bloomed flowers, petals dancing with the wind flowing down into the stream just below the hill, nestled behind the peach tree. Across the stream, a woman sat on her knees, a large stringed instrument laid out in front of her. Village children sat around her, listening to the beautiful harping as she plucked the strings, going across the curved body, soft, light-hearted music dancing with the wind, flowing with the calm stream. Her fingers streaked across the instrument, plucking at one end with her fingers while her other hand flew across the strings, sliding along them, warping the sounds they made, flowing into beautiful heartstrings.

The children watched in awe as the village maiden played, plucking, her fingers dancing across each note like a water dancer. More amazing to them was that the woman managed to flow across each beautiful sound she created with her eyes closed. She seemed in a trance, so lost in the music she breathed life into she hardly noticed her audience growing, expanding into not just the village children, but an admirer far off in the branches of her family peach tree. Her fingers plucked and danced until she suddenly changed the flow of the music to the quick thrumming of a thief in the night.

The children jumped up at the change of tempo and danced around her, their little feet tapping against the ground, twirling in circles around her, around each other, partnering up and flowing together like the adults during festivals, laughing and cheering and the woman lips turned up at the sound of their joy. She quickened her fingers pace, the limber limbs a blur as she kept up with the energy of the children.

"Yuriko!" The music suddenly stopped, as did the laughter of the kids and the woman quickly sat up and looked behind her. "What are you doing out here?!" A woman in stark white robes and red hakama came barreling down towards her from the hill, her black hair pulled back into a long tail at her neck. "And playing such vulgar music! You're supposed to be inside, practicing! Not out here with these little urchins! Shoo!" The woman shooed the children off and the scattered away like flies in the wind.

The woman, Yuriko sighed and straightened her back. "You're a terrible priestess, Hisayo." Yuriko watched as her sister came around to her side. "You're supposed to look after the children as well as the villagers." Hisayo bent down and yanked Yuriko up by her arm. "And be gentle with your siblings." She yanked her arm free and Hisayo only glared.

"Get into the house this instant. Father has been calling you for hours now. Wait until he hears you're out here playing the music those filthy heathens in the village play." Hisayo pointed towards the old temple nestled into the woods outside the village.

"It's not filthy," Yuriko muttered, bending down to pick up her Koto.

"What was that, little sister?" Hisayo snarled and Yuriko only shook her head.

"Nothing, Hisayo." Yuriko took one moment to look up at her eldest sister. She was a woman nearing her thirties but her years of training as a priestess had done nothing for her age. She sagged in places a woman of her age should not sag in, and her grey hairs gleamed in the sun more than their fathers did. She had angry, bitter dark eyes, and jagged, uneven browns set in their distaste for the world. Yuriko always said Hisayo had been dealt an ugly hand since she was born.

As the eldest in the family, she had to follow into the footsteps of their father and mother, becoming a priestess of the temple that oversaw the eastern side of the country. She followed in the family steps, despite that Hisayo didn't have strong spiritual energy, therefore she struggled to do the most mundane of temple duties, whereas Yuriko, the youngest of six daughters had the best ability. Of course, as the sixth, she had no responsibility to her families temple and would be the only one to be allowed to marry and bear children.

That being said, it wasn't like Yuriko had a line of young men at her feet, waiting to wed her. No man in the region wanted to wed the daughter of a temple family. Certainly not Yuriko at the very least.

Always getting into trouble with her father, with the villagers. She spent too much time with the urchins, took offerings from the temple and brought them to the children. Teaching girls to read and boys to dance, teaching children of all classes which herb did what, even going so far as mending clothes for them.

Ideally, she would make a remarkable priestess. The roll came so easily to her, her ability, her generosity, and kindness, but for her, she only stepped out of bounds which caused trouble for her sister and problems her father had to fix. She had gained a reputation as a troublemaker, and no man wanted a troublemaker for a wife.

Hisayo grabbed Yuriko's arm again beginning to yank her towards the village, causing her to almost drop her Koto. She gripped the instrument tight to her chest while her sister pulled her through town, like a parade demonstrating that once again the temple maiden was in trouble. She was dragged into the temple, not allowed to state her hellos to the familiar faces she passed. She was dragged along until she was in front of her father, her sister smugly sitting beside him.

Norimoto, a partly man with a shaven head. He wore his robes well, adorned in blue and gold, his beautifully jaded mala beads wrapped around his hand and arm, the statue of the Buddha a prominent figure behind him, gold and foreboding, and glaring down at Yuriko like a demon. Always reminding her that the good she did was wrong. Her gaze fell back onto her father, just to see Hisayo leaning away from him as she whispered something in his ear.

"Out practicing by the stream again?" Her father asked, a brow raised and his head inclined towards her koto.

"I find the stream to be a beautiful muse," Yuriko stated, setting her koto down at the far back wall before sitting seiza in front of her father and sister.

"You were playing the same music they play during the festivals," Hisayo said, getting a shush from their father.

"There were children listening, I thought they might enjoy a bit of fun music to dance to. It was harmless fun," Yuriko said trying to keep her tone even.

"It's plucky and inappropriate for a shrine maiden," Hisayo said.

"Then I suppose it's a good thing I am not considered a shrine maiden, isn't it?" She smiled at her sister and she could see her father fight his own smile.

"Hisayo, why don't you attend the temple? I'll handle your sister, don't worry." Norimoto motioned for her to leave and Hisayo scoffed but did as she was told.

"I don't understand why you put up with her, papa." Yuriko rolled her eyes causing her father to chuckle. He motioned for the tea beside him and she moved to his side to pour it for the two of them.

"She's my daughter and the future of this temple." He explained taking the cup she offered him.

"If she's the future of this temple then this temple and the land is doomed," Yuriko spoke dryly into her cup.

"Yuriko! She is still your sister, whether she is awful to you or not she is a good priestess." Norimoto chastised but it only had Yuriko shake her head.

"But she isn't the best choice and you know it. Why won't you just let me take her place instead? You know I can do so much better than she can."

"Shame on you, daughter. She has done the best she can since before you were born. All my other children have been sent off to further other temples and shrines across the region, why must my youngest show such harshness to her sister?"

"Because she's awful to me. You said so yourself, who wants a priestess who cannot even be kind to her own family. She berates me every chance she gets. She acts like she's my mother!" Frustrated Yuriko got up, walking away from the Buddha statue before it came crashing down on her in her shame.

"She is all you've known as a mother, Yuriko. She raised you after your mother passed away. To her, you are more than just a sister, you are a daughter and she sees so much in you. Things you have yet to see in yourself." Norimoto sighed deeply setting his tea down and standing before his daughter. "You have a great responsibility on your shoulders. To marry and further our legend. Your mother passed before she could bare sons, so it falls onto you, my youngest and my fairest of daughters to find a good husband. So your future children may keep our temples strong."

"But papa, why does that mean I can't play my music?" She spoked exasperatedly which caused her father to smile warmly down at her.

"It shows you have fire in you, passion when you play songs not meant for a woman. You shouldn't play any music at all, but you have your mothers ear and talent for music. You use her koto well, daughter, but remember your responsibility."

He leaned forward to kiss her forehead, and all Yuriko could do is accept what her father wanted of her.

 _That night_

"Who expects their youngest child to carry on such a responsibility, Kyah?" Yuriko huffed as she paced the inside of her rooms, tossing her hands into the air in her exasperation.

"I know, Yuri. Your mother carried you so low, we expected you to be a boy. Her first son, of course it would have fallen onto the first boy but now…" Kyah trailed off. Her chestnut colored hair fell over her shoulders as her head moved back and forth to watch her friend pace.

"I don't care if mother carried low," Yuriko huffed. "If she hadn't passed they could have had another chance for a baby boy, and I could be with my sisters, doing what I actually want."

"Yuriko," the shock in her voice stopped Yuriko's pacing and she gave her friend a pained look.

"You're right I shouldn't speak ill of the dead. It's just…" She sighed deeply falling next to Kyah in a heap of angst. "I feel like I'm worth so much more than being some man's quiet little wife, only there to bear children for my fathers legacy."

"You are worth so much more, Yuriko," Kyah said softly.

"So you agree with me then?" She sat up sharply as soon as she heard Kyah's words, focused now more than ever that someone agreed she deserved more from life than being a wife.

"I… of course I agree with you, Yuri but.. it is your duty…"

Yuriko groaned and leaned down into the tatami mats face first, letting her body sag into the floor. Sighing, Kyah rubbed her back getting only animal grunts of approval from Yuriko. "Yuri, just think about it… once you have your own child, you can teach them how to be a priestess yourself. Or your father will have a grandson to carry on the name. Imagine the little daughter you could have. You can teach her how to sing, and dance, and read, and write. You can teach her how to use a bow, how mend wounds, how to tend to a woman when she gives birth. You can do what your sisters can't. You can teach your child how to be what they are, just like your mother did with them."

Yuriko huffed and sat up slowly. "I suppose you have a point. Maybe I can marry a man in the village, who will let me teach the little ones on the streets who have no one to teach them. My child will have many brothers and sisters in the village." She touched her belly, not so averse to the idea now that Kyah has shown her a positive. "Alright then, let's get going." Yuriko jumped to her feet and Kyah watched in shock.

"Go? Go where, exactly?" She asked while Yuriko stripped her red hakama's off and began to rummage through her wardrobe.

"To the village of course. I want to get there before they start playing music." Yuriko said, pulling out an orange kimono before setting it aside and looking deeper.

"Did you not hear anything I said? You have a responsibility to-!"

"To uphold my family name, I know. And I will, but if I'm going to get married then it's going to be to a man I've picked for myself and he has to accept me for me. That means," She pulled out a red and orange kimono and turned to her friend. "We are going down to the village to dance the night away." Kyah groaned and stood up, rubbing her face in frustration.

"Fine, but if we're going, you aren't wearing that." She walked over to the wardrobe and pushed Yuriko aside. She only took a moment to rummage inside before she pulled out her target and turned. "You'll wear this, or we don't go."

* * *

Center of the village there was the full thumping of drums being beaten, men shouting, and the men and women of the village were crowded at its core, dancing together in a flurry of bright colored music. Men breathed fire around the edges, enchanting the children and charming the women. String instruments strummed out between the beats of the drums, creating a wave of music that possessed the crowd as the limbs flew out to flow with the melodies. Just seeing the drummers play was its own type of performance and they hit the leathers their bodies flowed and bounced with each sound and more pumped through the blood of the villagers. Some cheered for the performance, but many of them joined in the dance.

"Look, we're just in time!" Yuriko grabbed Kyahs arm and dragged her to the center of the fray. They held positions, Yuriko with one arm raised, a closed fan in one hand, and her other arm was held low with a second fan. Kyah stood opposite her, and she quietly looked up at her friend.

"We are going to be in so much trouble after this," Kyah said. Yuriko looked up just to grin. Then the tempo of the song changed. The thumping of the drums picked up and the girl's bodies flowered together like water. They walked around each other with their fans closed, their feet doing their own little dancing of their own and the two held eye contact. When the tempo slowed they switched sides swiftly, and the drums picked up again and the villagers cheered all together, repeating the same words the drummers declared. The crowd parted as the drummer's voices went low and the two girls at the center went low with their right fans and as their voices raised up, so did their fans. The pace of the drums quickened and they were lost in the sea of dancers, their fans flinging open once the singing got louder, Kyah and Yuriko joining in the boisterous noise. They danced around each other, with others of the village, and with each new person they danced with the tempo of their movement switched. People stood around the dancers and clapped and cheered and when the drums were nothing but a loud hum in the air people parted again but this time to reveal a couple at the center.

Yuriko, in her bright blue kimono stitched with peach blossoms, danced across from a man in black.

He had dark hair held up high in a ponytail atop his head, the inky black locks mingling in his robes. He had a mask over the top of his head, covering parts of his face but Yuriko could see the smile on his lips as they danced around each other, moving as if the two were sparring, arms stretching out to each other as if to strike, just for one person to take a step back and swing around to do the same. Their legs mingled together, the drumming thumped in their ears and died slowly in the air as the song stopped.

Yuriko stopped and bowed to the crowd as they cheered and her mysterious partner did the same. She was sweating and laughing but it didn't stop her from dancing again when a new song played, strings plucking on a koto she couldn't see admit the drums and her and her mystery partner began another dance anew, Kyah long gone from Yuriko's mind. Their bodies never touched when they danced, and when they moved partners the two always seemed to come back to each other, and always with a smile on their face. She was lost in the eyes of the man in front of her, his emerald gaze holding her hostage until eventually the exciting part of the evening finally died and the crowd had dispersed to pursue other activities in the festival.

"You're a marvelous dancer," her mystery man complimented her, walking her to a nearby bench so she may rest.

"You aren't halfway bad yourself, my lord." She fanned herself, straightening out her mothers' kimono on her legs and shoulders.

"Well, it was quite the struggle keeping up with you, my lady." He sat beside her. The whole time they danced, not once did he remove his mask, even now as they calmly sat together he did not remove it.

She stared up at him, folding her fan on her lap. "You kept up well then. For a beginner at least."

"Was it obvious I had never danced before?" His voice was sheepish, but she couldn't tell what his expression really was. She could only partially see his lips, and only occasionally got a glimpse of those gemlike eyes of his.

"It was to an experienced dancer, but you moved well. You must be partial to martial arts. Sword fighting perhaps like most men." She theorized.

"I know how to use a sword," he agreed.

"But it is not your preferred weapon," she thought for a moment, tapping her chin with her fan. "You prefer a tessen, don't you?"

"Correct, how did you figure?" He asked.

"We had samurai stay at the temple, helped a few of them heal. In return, one man taught me how to wield tessen. You move like a man who only prefers to use them."

He laughed and her heart fluttered at the warm sound. "You mean to tell me a temple maiden dances like a Maiko?"

"You are very rude, sir." She stood up sharply crossing her arms and glaring down at him.

"You are right, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. The way you danced was an art form. I thought only a professional could have taught you. To think it was a samurai." He chuckled again but it didn't stop uncross her arms. "Forgive me, my lady. I meant no disrespect."

"Very well, I will forgive you. But only if you remove that mask. Otherwise, I'll just have to assume you're a demon. Or a fox of a man, to wear a kitsune mask."

He laughed again, and reached up, sliding the mask from his head and setting it down on the bench. He had a slender face and piercing narrowed eyes, set beneath mischievous brows and a pert mouth. He had laughter in his eyes, and kindness in his smile. His dark hair framed his face, bangs feathered his forehead and hid his ears and Yuriko's heart stopped for a moment.

"I was right, you really are a demon." She stated point blank, unable to look away from him.

"What makes you say that?" He asked her, looking surprised.

"No human man could possibly be as beautiful as you are. Now tell me why you're here, demon? I hope it is not to eat anyone in the village. There isn't much food going around here so most of the villagers are too skinny. You couldn't possibly fill up on them."

He looked taken aback for a moment and laughed again, loudly and boisterously.

"You are a strange woman, my lady." He smiled at her, and Yuriko couldn't help but smile back.

"My name is Yuri-"

"Yuriko!" Kyah's voice broke through the haze of their conversation and Yuriko looked back to see her friend frantically making her way towards her. "Yuriko! It's Hisayo, we have to go! Quickly before she catches us!" Kyah grabbed Yuriko's hand and started to pull her away from her stranger.

"W-wait! What's your name?" She asked the man as Kyah dragged her into the depths of the crowd, towards the temple.

The man stood up, cupping his hands around his mouth and shouted. "My name is Tomosue!"


	27. Chapter 27: Kidnapped

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Kidnapped**

 _Thinking/memories/dreams_

 **!WARNING! SENSITIVE MATERIAL AHEAD!**

 **PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE EASILY TRIGGERED BY SEXUAL HARRASSMENT/ABUSE!**

 **THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SENSITIVE MATERIALS AND IMPLIED RAPE!**

 **THIS STORY IS RATED M FOR MATURE FOR THIS EXACT REASON!**

 **THIS IS NOT A LEMON**

 **I REPEAT**

 **NOT A LEMON!**

 **THIS CHAPTER DOES NOT INCLUDE SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MATERIAL!**

* * *

 _"Humans… Plenty of them marry for love. Many of them marry because of love." Kasumi watched Sesshomaru's eyes narrow, catching the confused gleam in the gold depths before he blinked and turned away from her._

 _"Love is an unnecessary emotion," Sesshomaru provided, keeping his gaze straight ahead._

 _Kasumi felt her heart sink, weighed down by boulders of truth, cut deep by the cold reality of his words._

 ** _Love is an unnecessary emotion_**

 _A sad smile crept into her cheeks and she looked down at her feet. "Maybe to you… but for me… for us humans love is something desired." She chuckled quietly to herself, the sound without_ _humor_ , _dry and unfriendly even to her own ears. "It's something that I can never have…" She swallowed down the heavy emotion in her throat, squeezing her hands into tiny fists._

 _"No one will ever love a wench like you," A familiar, venomous voice whispered into her ears._

 _She jerked her head up, looking all around her as the scenery changed, Sesshomaru fading into the background like a dark shadow. She was surrounded by walls and trees, felt cold bony fingers crawling up her legs._

 _She screeched, only for a hand to clamp around her mouth and face came into view, as if emerging from the shadows._

 _Lord Takami's lips stretched into a wide, snake-like grin, his hand on her thigh, pulling aside red and white kimono's and baring her skin to the black cold air._

 _"You're just a stupid girl that no one will love. You'll be my wife and I'll take you every night, even if it means I have to force you." He said, his grin spreading wider the harder she struggled._

 _She felt her robes ripped off her, heard them shred to pieces, the unfeeling air caressing the curves of her body as she sank deep into a dark pit behind her._

 _Hard earth met her tail bone, but no pain came to her. Something was tossed onto her, a blue robe. Piercing white moonlight blinded her, clouding the image of a beautiful demon with white-blond hair and sharp green eyes._

 _"Cover yourself up, no one wants to see you." His voice was cold, without emotion. Tentacle like foxtails slithered around him, surrounding Kasumi and consuming her. "I never truly loved your mother, so why would I possibly want her whelp?" The fox demons grin slithered out, sharp canines gleaming in the white light. "After all, I have my own wife and children to love. Why would I love or want you?"_

 _Laughter filled her head and she tried to curl into a ball, pulling her arms over her head as if it would stop the noises around her._

 _Rough fingers pried her from her ball, pinned her down on sharp gravel._

 _"All I want from you is your body. Once I'm done with you, my men can do whatever they want to you." The grave voice of Kaneshi reached her this time and she opened one eye to see him over top of her, pinning her arms beside her head, dull jagged fingernails dug into her skin, bruising her. She could hear the chortle of laughter around them as the bandits watched Kaneshi rip her blue robes off her body, her screams only furthering the humor of the bandits._

 _Kaneshi was violently ripped away from her body and white flowing locks filled Kasumi's teary-eyed vision._

 _"S-Sesshomaru," she cried, reaching out for him but he only looked at her plainly._

 ** _Love is an unnecessary emotion_** _._

 _"You are a means to an end. Once I am through with you, I will get rid of you. You are nothing." His voice was monotone, as it always was. "I would never mate with a silly little halfbreed."_

 _"N-no! L-Lord Sesshomaru!" She cried for him again unable to reach out to him, to move as her body weighed heavily onto her, keeping her pinned in place as he faded into darkness._

 _Darkness._

 _The cold feeling of it was familiar to her, reminding her of her time trapped in a demon's gourd. There was no sound._

 _No color._

 _No light._

 _Only Kasumi holding herself in the darkness, clawed fingers digging into her bony arm._

 _Apparitions appeared around her, ethereal, of Lord Ishikawa beating her, a woman in white with straight, jet back hair standing behind him giggling._

 _"I never wanted a bastard demon child!" Lord Ishikawa shouted at her. "You killed my Yuriko!"_

 _"We don't need a daughter like her, right dear?" The woman behind Lord Ishikawa slithered her arms around him, the face of the woman missing._

 _"My Yuriko…" Lord Ishikawa's voice faded slowly as he grasped onto the woman he called Yuriko. With his voice, the apparition dissipated, only once again to reveal Sesshomaru, standing over top of her, staring down at her with cold, uncaring eyes._

 ** _Love is an unnecessary emotion._**

* * *

The sweet shrieking of the fox girl's voice brought a warm smile to Naraku's face. She was chained to a wall, her wrists high above her head, stretching her body out till her toes could barely graze the floor below her. Hordes of Naraku's demon were around her feet, covering the floor in a pool of demons. Dark, slimy tentacles trace Kasumi's bare figure, feeling the writhing, squirming figure of the girl against its grasp made the hanyo's smile grow.

Such an easy girl to figure out. She was afraid of being abandoned, unloved.

Her mind was too weak and simple, easy to manipulate her dreams with each of her anxieties.

"It's almost too easy," Naraku mused as another fearful shriek of Kasumi's filled the air. "It won't take long at all to turn her against Sesshomaru who is too blinded by his demon pride to realize how much he deeply cares for this girl." He chuckled, reaching his fingers out to tuck stray strands of Kasumi's hair behind her cheek. "Come quick, Lord Sesshomaru or I may just make this little kit my new pet."

* * *

 **AUTHOR NOTE:**

It wasn't really all that bad, but I wanted to put a proper warning for people out there that like to report people's stories for the stupidest shit.

There's a reason I picked Mature for my rating of this story. It has been very mild-mannered throughout the story progression, and this is probably going to be the ONLY chapter like this, but I may or may not change that.

Also,

Totally sorry this isn't an ACTUAL chapter with the continuation of Sesshomaru rescuing his little kit, but like all good inspiration, it comes to me in the middle of the night after three nights of no sleep, and it only comes to me in short bursts.

I haven't decided how I want to reintroduce Sesshomaru into the whole rescue plan, so the story progression is still on a temporary pause.

I think I might make the next chapter a Yuriko related one, but I don't know yet.

***AUTHOR SIDE NOTE***

You don't have to read this if you don't want to, but I wanted to give a shout out to everyone out there that follows and favorites my story even after months of no update. I truly appreciate that and it means a lot.

I've kind of had a lot of shit going on in life. My fiancee of five years and I split up just last year, shortly after I posted my latest chapter, and he pretty much just ghosted me (prick), so ya know...

That fucking stings. On top of that one of my dogs had to get put down which happened about a month before my ex and I broke up. Precious Corgi that I miss every day with her little short-legged hops.

There was shit going on with my grandma, her daughter (my step aunt not really my aunt anymore but that's a whole other can of worms) started actin dumb, gmom in and out of hospital, having to take care of her, couldn't finish college cause I have no money to do it anymore (financial aid wouldn't do shit for me either for stupid tax reasons cause of my stupid ex step dad which is more can of worms).

But started dating someone else who I love (todays our one year anniversary actually), and fuck all guess what comes around?

We had to put my other dog, who I had for 11, maybe 12 years had to get put down because he was going into diabetic shock and it was awful and I'm still upset about that. Happened the beginning of November so that's fresh and painful. Fuckin bawl my eyes out if i think about it too long. Especially since like my crogi I WAS FUCKING OUT OF TOWN WHEN HE GOT PUT DOWN AND I COULDN"T GIVE MY DOODLE BUG ONE MORE HUG AND HEAD KISSES!

Salty about that.

big hurt.

And on top of ALL of that,

I'm having my own medical issues now too. I've had to get an ultrasound on my bladder and my kidneys and its big-time scary not knowing wtf is going to come out of those tests.

So it's not that I've forgotten about all of you loyal people out there or even you newcomers. It's just I've had a LOT of hard shit come my way the past year and its hard enough even motivating myself to get out of bed, let alone complete a story I started writing Almost two years ago.

I am so close to the finish line with this story. I know it seems like it isn't ever going to get there but I promise ya'll it will happen. Please just be patient with me.

*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･* _**YoU ArE aLL BeAUtIfUL PEOple**_ *･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*


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